Together Always
by zeldapeach
Summary: It's finally out! Stories of how Kagura and Sakaki came to be together and why. Join them as their relationship progresses from high school to graduation and beyond! Romance, drama, and all the more!
1. Prelude

Together Always

A Sakaki/Kagura Fanfic

Rated PG-13/Teen for drama and slight suggestive themes

Author's Note: I have been meaning to begin this project for awhile now, to get in focus of how my general idea of the Sakaki/Kagura pairing would come about and work together in my version of the 'Azuverse'.

To state, this is not a single story but rather a tale made of many different stories beginning from their getting together in their high school days to graduation and beyond!

There MAY be slight elements borrowed from my other Sakaki/Kagura stories

Also expect references to the anime and manga too

I hope you will look forward to these tales!

* * *

The prelude begins in a first-person viewpoint of how Kagura first glimpsed Sakaki, came to meet her, and why she fell in love with her.

* * *

The Prelude

_How did it all begin?_

The tanned and messy-haired woman looked at her tall female companion who was beside her in bed. She smiled softly, then she kissed the back of her partner's shoulders gently, sliding her arm under hers.

_Let me tell you a small story…or rather a collection of stories, I think you'll be interested to hear…_

…First Year: The Steak Cup…

Yukari, the homeroom teacher of Year One, Classroom Three, had challenged Miss Kurosawa, my homeroom teacher and swim coach, to a swimming relay race. I could tell that she wasn't pleased with the idea, but there was no way to change the other stubborn woman's mind, and so we were off.

I was prepared to win this for Miss Kurosawa, feeling pumped to dive into the water and put my best into it. What I wasn't prepared for was _her_.

To my shocked dismay, the tall girl from Class Three had out-skilled me. She swam much faster than I ever could, with such flawless grace like that of a dolphin. What was more, she didn't seem to make any real effort of it and had climbed out of the pool tirelessly. _Who was she?_

Yes, they still lost on account of the other teacher, but I was still awed by the newcomer's exceptional abilities. I had to know this girl.

P.E. was soon dismissed and I followed her into the locker room amongst the other girls. As she went up to her locker, I opened mine just nearby. Looking into the small mirror on the door, I caught a glimpse of her slipping out of her swimsuit. I saw myself flush red and discreetly averted my eyes to changing out of my own. For some reason, I could not help but feel embarrassed at being half-naked in the same room as her. I'd never felt like this with any other girl before, so why…?

Again, my eyes glanced to the mirror to see her drying her bare self with a towel.

I slammed the locker shut, dressed into my uniform as quickly as possible, and ran out. I never got to talk to her out of pure embarrassment...and I never got to know her name.

…First Year: Sports Fest…

The very memory of the girl still stuck in my mind after those months, nagging me to the point of annoyance.

_Who is she? Why and how is she so good?_

Unless it got the answers, the questions wouldn't just shut up in my head. Among them was an important one: Will I ever see her again?

That one question was answered when the annual sports festival came up. I was very excited for it; I had been training regularly since the weeks before, jogging in early mornings and after school. I planned to make a habit of it even after the festival was over.

My dad was there, waving at me from the crowd. I returned the wave and joined my group to prepare for the sports events.

Aside from a certain teacher trying to put me out of action, all was pretty normal – just doing some stretching exercises before the first event.

As I pulled my arm behind my head, I saw her again.

The tall girl stood not too far way, bending her upper body sideways. I couldn't help but keep staring at her. She was still just as amazing as I saw her in-person before. I looked over her, carefully surveying every curve. Never mind her being the biggest of the lot, her body was just proportionally perfect in every way possible. Her long, sleek, ebony-black hair complimented her features well.

_Wait…what am I doing…?_

Realizing I had been checking her out, I turned away guiltily.

There, I wondered: Is she as good in other activities as she is at swimming? My point was proven soon enough.

"Miss Sakaki from Class 3, Miss Kagura from Class 4, please come forth for the 100 km race," blared the speaker above.

_So, her name is Sakaki…_

With a grin, I followed her to the track, itching to get in action against her. I was again prepared to win this for Miss Kurosawa. Boy, was I surprised.

Once again, the girl took me by surprise, running ahead at the blast of the starter gun so fast you could have sworn she had disappeared into thin air. I collected myself and ran after her as fast as possible to make up for the distance lost due to her unexpected burst of speed. I could feel my chest aching as my feet thudded against the pavement, listening to the background shouts of the two teachers encouraging us on. The girl seemed to be not straining at all, yet she was in the front!

_How does she does it?_

I tried not to look at the loose white shirt flapping at her backside and focused on the race. Needless to say, I lost.

As I fell to my knees, gasping for air, she went over to her group as they cheered on.

"Don't worry, there's still the other events," Miss Kurosawa reassured from behind, handing me a bottle of water.

I gratefully took it, wiping my sweaty brow as I gulped down and stared at Sakaki.

More than ever, I wanted to beat her. Not just for us, but for me as well. I was going to prove to her that she wasn't the only big shot around.

Soon came the tug of war, and I came to face-to-face with her yet again. I picked up the rope and glared into her face to show I was the boss here. I was pretty taken aback, however, once I got a closer look at her face. In contrast, her face was expressionless and maybe even a bit plain, but her eyes were _amazing_. They certainly made up for most of her beauty.

Again! I was staring at her again like some lovestruck fool.

_Maybe I really am a lovestruck fool_…

I shook my head to clear my mind and glared at her once again, hoping to get my point across. The girl said nothing.

And then tugging began.

The tug of war was won by our class, but I wasn't satisfied. I wanted to beat her up close and personal, just her and me. The relay race was perfect.

Being the last runners, we waited near the end of the track. I shot a glare at her direction, though she wasn't looking at me.

I'll show you.

As a teammate ran up to me, I grabbed the baton and sprinted off.

For the moment, I was in the front. I was feeling pretty confident. _I can win this!_

Then out of nowhere, like a cheetah, Sakaki zoomed up beside me and to the front. My feet staggered briefly as I reeled back with complete shock. _Unbelievable!_

_So it comes down to this…_

I pushed forward with all the energy and determination I could muster. Soon, I was neck-to-neck with her. Already, I was feeling myself ache all over, but as the same, Sakaki wasn't even straining.

_I won't…give…up…_

It all ended in such a fast blur, I wasn't even sure at first who had won. All I remember is the flying ribbon, a sharp whistle, and the pavement coming up to meet me as I fell.

"And Miss Sakaki, in the lead, wins for her class!"

"Ohh…"

I had lost. I had failed to prove that I could be just as good as her. I broke down and not even my teacher's reassuring words could take away the ache of it.

_Why?_

…A Realization…

"Don't worry about it Kagura," comforted my dad as he put a hand on my shoulder. "You gave it your best, which is good."

"Thanks, Dad."

It was near evening, we were just walking home from the sports festival. My dad always knew the right words to say; he never failed to cheer me up. I suppose you could say he was like a big brother to me, too.

As we rounded a corner, I saw her once again. There was Sakaki, standing there by herself as if she was waiting for someone. Then she glanced my way and a warm feeling rushed throughout my body. We were locked in the gaze for what seemed like forever. Yet, in the briefest of minutes, I snapped back to reality due to my dad's asking "What's wrong, Kagura? You've gone all red-faced."

"Uhh…I-it's n-nothing…" I managed to stutter.

We moved on, but the girl still stuck to my mind. The feeling from earlier…why did it happen? And so easily on a mere glance?

As I thought about it a little more, I soon came to a shocking realization. It couldn't be possible…could it?

It was still too early to tell, but the motive was apparent.

I definitely had to know this girl.

But…how was I to go about it? We weren't even in the same class…

…Second Year: The Transition…

My opportunity came when our first year was nearing its end and the second year just ready to begin. There was a talk of students being sent to different to classes, save for Yukari's class where – due to a rumor – the majority of the students were safe to stay. That meant Sakaki would remain and if I wanted to develop a friendship with her, I'd have to be closer to her, that was for sure.

So I met with Miss Kurosawa in the teacher's lounge, where she told me to go to if I ever had any problems or questions. This was a matter of both.

She looked up as I entered inside.

"What is it Kagura?" she asked as she put her pen down, swiveling her chair around so she could face me.

"Well…" I started, not sure how to put it.

How was I going to explain to her that I wanted to be in same class as Sakaki just because I wanted to know her more without looking like a fool?

"You see, I was wondering if I c-could be…"

I paused, the teacher nodded as signifying me to continue.

"I…" Why was this so difficult to say? "…I w-want to be in a d-different c-class for the next s-school y-year…"

"Why do you want to be?" Miss Kurosawa asked simply, placing her chin on her hands.

"I…" A swallow then some mumbling.

"Sorry, I didn't hear that," she leaned forward. "Because what…?"

"…um…"

Then, I thought of a perfect way I could give the answer, but not exactly lie (I hate lying), and still hide the true reason behind it.

"Miss Kurosawa, I was wondering because…you see in my class I…I'm not really getting along with anybody," I explained. "So then I thought maybe if I was in a different class, I could meet other people and find pals, you know?"

It WAS the truth, I didn't really have an real friends as of then, and my objective was to meet Sakaki, a relatively new person to me after all (soon, I would discover that I made more friends than just her. I'll have to thank her for that).

The teacher looked at me with consideration then smiled softly.

"It's not my place, but I'll see what I can do."

Just then Yukari burst in, chortling. "Not to worry, I'll make sure you get sent to the right class!"

Secretly, this made me feel ecstatic as I could guess what she really meant while Miss Kurosawa was just irritated.

"Really Yukari…"

I left the lounge, feeling in high spirits.

…Second Year: The Meeting…

This was it. I entered the room that would be my new homeroom for the next school year. As expected, I spotted Sakaki sitting by the window and greeted her.

I suppose it was understandable she didn't remember me, and I was only bit disappointed, but I was happy enough to have finally met her. Aside the awkward intro, I saw it as a fresh start for what I hoped was to be our new relationship.

Being the sort of person I am, I'll admit my words came out more differently than I wanted them to, but I was just excited.

That same day, after school, I went to walk with her to our neighborhood which I had just recently learned was same as mine.

I had heard from other people before my move into her class that Sakaki was a 'lone wolf' and had no interest in being part of the crowd. This intrigued me greatly and was one of the reasons I wanted to know Sakaki more – not just because her exceptional abilities had wowed me. So I struck up some chit-chat about it, but she didn't respond much. Quiet and collected, I had to like that as I couldn't be like that – ever. This girl was getting more interesting by every moment.

And thus, began the development of our 'rivalry'.

…New Feelings…

Many months had passed since our first official meeting, and not only had I gained a bond with Sakaki, but also with the gang she was affiliated with. My feelings for her had definitely made themselves clear and I was now seeing reasons why I liked, no, _loved _her now.

Sakaki had shown herself to be more than what my first impression of her had been. She had a such friendly personality and a great fondness for all animals; she would never harm anybody. She got along well with her friends, especially the child prodigy known as Chiyo. Everything about Sakaki I grew to adore more. No longer was she a mysterious, sullen wolf, but a caring, nice shiba inu dog. All she needed was a confidence boost to show that, and I was here for that.

Then I would wonder: _Does she feel the same way for me?_

I had been trying all sorts of things to grab her attention, such as challenging her to various competitions in hope of impressing her, but I get the feeling she didn't really care for that.

I, too, showed my concern for Sakaki's wellbeing by scaring off all those cats that always bit her and even tried to teach her to learn self-control, but she didn't seem to appreciate that and kept ignoring my facts…I wondered if she would ever learn…

Back to my newfound love for Sakaki, it was now the beginning of third year and time was soon running out – we already had our summer trips.

I had to tell and reveal my feelings for her before it was too late, or else I would never know her response when the end of high school came and we went our separate ways.

_I had to tell her now._


	2. Confessions Saga: Kagura's Letter

Together Always

The Confessions Saga

Author's Note: Kagura will soon unveil her feelings for Sakaki! But…does she respond the same?

* * *

…The Coming Out…

Before I told Sakaki, I told my dad.

He and I were always honest with each other, which were one of our strong ties of our father-daughter bond. From him, it was one of the reasons I'm not particular to lying. I knew I could trust him.

Still, I was pretty nervous.

As I stood in the doorway, thinking of how to reveal my feelings, he sat at the table, outlining some house plans. My dad was what you would call a 'fixer'; he could build and fix _anything_. He was cool like that.

Figuring that just standing around wasn't going to do it, I brought myself forward to greet him.

"Hey Dad," I pulled up a chair in front of him.

He looked up. He then checked his watch.

"It's late. Is there something you want to tell me, Kagura?"

"Well…" My fingers tapped on the table, the anxiety gripping me. "I…"

He put away his pencil and stared at me intently with his hands clasped together – he knew I had something very important to reveal. He would remain quiet until I came out with it.

"I…I…" This was harder than I thought it would be.

Just breathe in and out, I can do this, I mentally told myself.

"Okay…" I sighed. "…I don't like boys."

My dad just blinked. As usual, pressure had me saying something else instead of what I meant to say. I felt my face warm up; I must've been blushing.

"Um…What I meant was…I-I…" I lowered my eyes to the floor. "I…"

I might just as damn well get this over with already!

"I love girls!" I blurted out suddenly, gasping. "At least, I really love this one girl...There, I said it!"

And I just burst out crying – my hands rose to my face.

I must have gone on like this for few minutes before my dad gave any reaction.

Soon, I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder and looked up to see my dad smiling gently at me.

"Kagura, you are my daughter," he said softly. "I could never look down at you in a different way. It does not matter who you love, just as long you're happy in the end."

I sniffle, wiping away my tears.

"T-thanks Dad…" my voice broke. "You're the best."

"Hey, this isn't the olden times, you know," he chuckled, ruffling my hair. He always did that, and I liked it.

"So, who's the lucky gal?" he asked with a grin worthy of the Kaguras.

I could feel myself burn with embarrassment and fiddled with my fingers.

"That's the thing…I haven't told her yet…"

"What?" his grin disappeared as he looked at me in bewilderment. "And you'd tell me, yet not her, first?"

I gulped.

"I might have needed the support," was my reply, "cause, I'm not sure how to go about it, telling her…"

"Ah, I see," he raised a hand to his chin and soon drifted off into thought.

I had to smile; whenever he did that, he was working out an answer to the problem. His advice never failed to benefit us. I told you he could do anything.

"Kagura…" he now sighed in a tone I recognized.

It was his soft, loving, yet sad tone that accompanied him whenever he brought up the subject of my late mother. We really never went to that area, but when we did, it always left an air of nostalgia behind.

"Do you know how I met your mother?"

I kept silent, knowing the process.

"You know, like you, I could be outgoing and maybe even bit bold," he continued, "but when it came to personal stuff, like admitting my love to Sachi (that was my mother's name), I couldn't even bring myself to it. When I tried, my words always came out all wrong and I'd just run away."

"But then, an idea struck me," he raised his finger for emphasis. "If I couldn't talk to her in-person, the least I could try to do is by talking to her indirectly. And so, I wrote a letter, detailing how and why I loved her, and gave it to her during class. Later, she came to meet me and confessed the same…You know the rest…"

"Kagura, you could write her a letter…it worked for me…" he added finally.

There was a moment of silence as he held a faraway look in his eyes. I slowly made my way over to him and wrapped my arms around him, hugging him.

"Thanks Dad," I replied. "I'll do that."

…The Confession…

The next day, my dad gave me a light hug and waved good luck at me as I made my way towards school.

I looked at the envelope in my hand and gripped it determinedly. I had been up for most of night, working on it. I'm not really a good writer, but I gave all my effort and feeling into it. I hoped she would understand.

Upon reaching my classroom, I saw Sakaki in her usual place and sat at my desk near her.

"Hey."

Sakaki nodded in reply.

That was our usual greeting.

She resumed gazing out the window. I let out a deep sigh then looked at my letter.

Glancing cautiously, I quickly slipped it into her schoolbag. She never noticed.

I wasn't prepared to say it aloud…yet.

After school, Sakaki and I were walking home together, as we always did. I looked down to the bag in her hand and wondered if she would ever find it and read it.

Would she reply? Or would she dismiss it and ignore me, never to give her answer?

I couldn't stand it anymore, I had to get it out now. At least with the simplicity of it, Sakaki could learn the details later.

I immediately grabbed her hand. We stopped.

"Mm?" Sakaki looked down to it in confusion.

"Um…Sakaki…" I mumbled, not meeting her gaze. "Ever since we met…I've been meaning to tell you…that I…"

A pause, I gripped her hand tighter. Sakaki made no protest.

"That I…" I looked up at her, into those amazing eyes. "I…"

Before I knew it, I had placed my hands onto her shoulders and pushed down so her face was within level of mine. There, I planted my lips onto hers. I _kissed_ her.

Our first kiss…all words cannot describe how it felt. A blissful eternity seemed to pass until we finally pulled apart. Still tingling with the warmth of it, I looked up to her with a smile.

"I love you Sakaki…"

However, once I saw Sakaki's expression, all that was bliss quickly dissipated as if someone had blown out a candle in my chest.

She held the look of pure shock – her eyes were wide and her mouth half-agape. She did not look at all pleased. My vision soon blurred with tears.

"S-Sakaki…" I stuttered, clutching her arms. "Don't you feel the same for me?"

She said nothing, still staring at me in unbelief.

"Please…"

"I…" Sakaki stammered, shaking her head. She backed away so she slipped out of my grip.

"I-I have to go home…"

With one last glance, she turned away and ran down the dirt road.

"Sakaki…"


	3. Confessions Saga: Sakaki's Realization

Together Always

The Confessions Saga

Author's Note: Oh no! Sakaki ran away! But...Now, Sakaki begins thinking about the kiss and comes to a new realization...

Hope you enjoy!

--

Sometime later, Sakaki told me her side of the story and explained herself for running away.

--

…Sakaki's Feelings…

_I was scared._

Her feet beat against the pavement, in rhythm with her thumping heart. Sakaki was running home.

Why?

_Because…I did not know…yet._

Sakaki reached the steps of her home, tripping onto them as she went up. Ignoring the pain in her shin, she picked her bag up and ran in. Once inside, she dashed into her nearby bedroom and fell into her most secure place in the world: her closet full of her stuffed animals. Curled up with her cat plushes, she grabbed one of them and hugged it tightly as she replayed the kiss sequence in her mind.

The kiss had surely brought up a mix of emotions within her which she never knew she had. It fascinated and frightened her at the same time.

_But…why?_

_What could she see in a person like me? _

As previously mentioned, Sakaki was not a very confident person, especially when it came to herself. Self-conscious of her appearance, she never thought somebody could ever fall for her. Yet, I – and she – was reeling with the shock of it.

As she lowered her head, she spotted something white peeking from her bag.

"Hmm? What's that?" Sakaki tilted her head then reached out, tugging the object out in the process.

It was an envelope. She looked to see that it had been addressed to her, her name written clumsily on the front.

_Did Kagura…_

She wasted no time in opening it, carefully pulling up the flap and took the paper inside out. She unfolded it and began reading my letter:

_Dear Sakaki,_

_We have known each other for quite a while, but I must admit, I knew about you way before our first meeting. That is when I first discovered I felt something for you…I could never stop thinking about you after we had our brief encounters-you might not remember, but I do. Finally spending time together with you as friends have helped my feelings make themselves clear. I can state why, why, I have those feelings for you._

_First off, the first thing that made me notice was your skills, you are so amazing at everything, much better than me. I'm impressed. _

_I also am awed by the way you remain so quiet and collected, so very mature…I could not be like that…ever. _

_From what I heard around the school and my first impression of you, you stood out like a lone wolf, hating crowds and too cool to care. But once I spent more time with you, I realized that that is NOT true at all, you are completely different. Which makes me feel even more about you, you are actually a very nice and caring person. You enjoy being with your friends, you have a great affection for the animals. You would never harm anybody ever _(at this comment, Sakaki felt a guilty tug on her heart). _Why…you're more like a puppy dog than some sullen wolf…_(Sakaki blushed at this)_ you just need a boost in confidence and I can help you with it, because…I love you, Sakaki._

At the bottom of the page was Kagura's signed name.

Sakaki just sat there in silence, gripping her letter. Then she clapped her hands to her forehead with deep sigh.

"She loves me, she really does…" she stuttered in a broken voice. "B-But…should this be r-right…?"

A ringing sound startled her and she whipped her head around to see it was her phone. She hastily picked it up. "H-hello?"

"Hello Sakaki," responded a familiar child's voice. "I'm just checking in, how are things?"

Chiyo! Just what she needed, a listener whom could help her out.

"Chiyo!" Sakaki replied. "Um…Chiyo…something very important happened…"

"What sort of important?" asked Chiyo.

"…Chiyo…you must promise to keep this between us…" Sakaki pleaded. "Promise?"

Sakaki knew she could trust her. While Chiyo may have been young, she was smart and mature for her age.

"Okay, I promise," Chiyo said.

"You promise not to tell anyone, none at all?"

"I promise, I won't even talk to Mr. Tadakichi," Chiyo giggled.

Sakaki sighed in relief.

"Chiyo…" she began. "K…"

She couldn't bear to reveal my name, not yet.

"…Somebody j-just told me t-that t-they…" Sakaki stuttered. "T-they…"

"They?" Chiyo asked, which caused Sakaki to fall quiet. After a pause, she continued.

"Y-yes…t-they said…t-they l…l-love…me very much…" she exhaled. "B-but…I do not know how to r-respond…"

There was silence then Chiyo spoke, only bit uncertainly.

"Well…I don't know what I could say…but…" she stammered. "Why don't you try giving it a thought? Thinking helps a lot…clear your mind – "

There was a clatter, Sakaki had dropped the phone.

"Hello?'

Flooding back to her, Sakaki's mind cleared the instant Chiyo said 'Clear your mind'. The conflicting thoughts that made her hesitate were gone, allowing her to remember back to her first meeting with Kagura. No, _beyond_ that...

…Sakaki's Memories…

Sakaki never remembered her encounters, as in the past, she did not remember such things unless they were worth her attention. But now she did, and it was indeed worth her attention.

She remembered that first day, the day at the pool where she and I glimpsed each other for the first time, though she was not aware of my identity back then. All she remembered was a girl (that would be me) whom had been glancing at her in the locker room then suddenly hurried out. Sakaki had felt bit down by this, as she always seemed to intimidate people because of her appearance. But now, as she thought over this memory coupled with what she read in the letter, she was realizing it had been a much more different matter.

Fast forward to the first sports festival, and she recalled flashbacks of the familiar girl competing against her. Sakaki could sense that she had done her very best against her and yet lost to her natural prowess. When Sakaki turned back and saw her fall to the ground, breaking into tears, something tugged at her inside. She would have liked to comfort the girl, but she was being pushed back by her cheering classmates then distracted by a certain perverted teacher rooting for her.

After the festival, Sakaki waited outside near the school for nobody in particular. She just did. Her mind was wandering to a thought when she was snapped to attention by two people arriving around the corner. It was the same girl as before and a man whom she took to be her father. She and her locked eyes, then the girl turned away with a reddened face, continuing along with her father. Sakaki was intrigued. The same girl from before had been determined to try to beat Sakaki; she never backed down. Yet, when they looked at each other, she began to act awkward and had left. Sakaki thought she would try and approach her at the next chance meeting, but that soon drifted away into forgetfulness.

When that time actually came, Sakaki's memory was a blank – and now she was regretting it for not remembering earlier – but now she and me were friends.

As Sakaki mulled over her thoughts, the letter, and my words: _"Don't you feel the same for me?"_

Then it hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Oh my…Why didn't I realize sooner…?" she gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

It now made sense, the confusion she had earlier had been a result of her true emotions conflicting with what she remembered from her mother's lecturing. It made sense, all the little things she'd felt for me.

"Oh, Kagura…" she sighed deeply, realizing she had done a terrible mistake.

Sakaki then left her room and ran out of her house, down the street as fast as she could go, calling my name.

"Kagura!"

Meanwhile, I had never been so down in my whole life. I felt no hurry to be home; all my energy had just been sucked away from that one moment.

'How am I supposed to tell my dad?'

But more than I didn't want to face my dad, I didn't want to face Sakaki. How could I?

Frustrated, I kicked a fence and felt tears welling up once again. Why?

Just then, I heard a voice calling my name and turned to see Sakaki running towards me. I did my best to restrain my tears since I didn't want her to see me crying. What does she want now?

Suddenly, she did something unexpected. She came up to me and hugged me.

"I am very sorry," she said.

Leaning against her chest, I didn't want to hear it anymore. "You don't have to apologize, I know we can't be together…"

"No, no," Sakaki shook her head though I didn't see it. "Please sit down with me."

"Hmm?" I was intrigued, so I followed her to the side and sat down with her. Sakaki still had her arms around me; the closeness made my whole body tingle.

We sat there in silence ,then slowly, Sakaki spoke up.

"I should have realized it earlier," she said, "then I wouldn't have run away like that. That was very stupid of me."

"…You were scared…" I replied softly.

"Y-yes…but because I was confused…" Sakaki lowered her head. "Then I saw your letter…and it made me think…"

She read the letter? Now I was interested to hear what she had to say.

"Kagura," she sighed, "you are a very confident person, and you are prepared to open up your feelings and express yourself…I could never be like that…"

Of course, you could! You need a push, that's all; I thought that, but I naturally said nothing.

"You are also bit rough..." Oh boy. "...but you have your soft edges, you care, and you show your concern well."

I smiled; that was true.

"And…" Sakaki paused for a moment. "…You are one of the first few people to see past my exterior and see the way I really am. Usually…most people are…intimidated by me. They either fear or admire me…you do neither…you look at me like a real person…"

An amazing person though, I nodded in thought.

"…And for that, I…" Sakaki stared right at me with those amazing eyes of her. "I…"

Soon they were coming closer and closer…

Sakaki tilted my chin up as she planted her lips onto mine. It was just as blissful from before, if only better, because Sakaki was truly returning her feelings. I was so happy that I soon felt tears running down my cheeks. We embraced each other closer, wrapping our arms around each other's necks. I was bit disappointed when we had to pull away, but my mood had brightened. Sakaki reached out to stroke my face.

We smiled at each other.

"Kagura, I love you," Sakaki finally said.

These were the words I wanted to hear from her the most. I hugged her.

"I love you."


	4. Dating Saga: Early Days

Together Always

Early Days

Author's Note: And so starts the new Saga!

And thus begins the start of their newfound love! Kagura is thrilled and Sakaki is pleased…but…she begins having doubts herself…

From this point forward, the story consists of mixed viewpoints: One of Kagura's, the other of Sakaki's

I hope you enjoy but I feel like something's bit off. Maybe it's me. Or it's just Sakaki. Actually I think I completely changed something but I'm not sure what-still, bear with me-I hope you enjoy

Hand in hand, we walked our way into the neighborhood until we came to a stop in front of my home. No one was on the doorstep, though I caught a glimpse of movement behind one of the windows. My dad must have been waiting, ready to meet me in case of any events. Sakaki took my hands, pulling me gently to face her. A brief kiss was shared, then a pink blush rose in her cheeks.

"Um…do you really think I'm like a…puppy?" she asked, her face turning pinker that instant.

I couldn't help but grin at this and raised my hand to brush the side of her face.

"Of course," was my genuine reply. "…Sometimes, you're even cute as one…"

Sakaki went a full hot-pink at this comment, causing the same in me.

Did I really say that? I suppose we were still getting bit used to the newly revealed feelings for each other.

Then she gave me a soft look, the one that always gave me a warm sensation. She leaned down for another kiss. We eventually parted, just standing there.

"Do you want to meet my dad?" I asked. "He's a great guy."

She looked at the house for a moment then back to me.

"I would like to," was her response, "but…I have to go back home soon."

She cast a wary glance backwards, as if expecting an unfriendly spy hidden within the vicinity.

"Oh…not even a time for a 'Hello'?"

"Next time, I promise," she nodded.

Then my dad stepped outside, and I took this as a cue to meet him.

"All right," I left her, waving goodbye. "I'll see you later!"

Sakaki returned the wave then bowed politely for my dad before she left.

"I take it went well?" he smiled as I tackled him in a hug.

"Yeah!" was my cheerful answer. "There were some bumps though, but it worked out thanks to the letter."

"Good, I was getting bit worried," he sighed as we went inside.

We soon settled into the hall where he looked out the window, watching Sakaki disappear around a corner.

"That's some catch you got there," he grinned at me. "I can see why you'd fall for her."

"Dad!"

"Seriously, she's a very pretty girl," he chuckled. "What's her name? I don't think you mentioned it to me?"

"Sakaki," I added. "But, that's just her last name though."

"I see," he nodded, turning back to the window. "So what do you plan to do now that you've told her?"

"Oh…"

I hadn't thought of that. What now? What do we do, now that we had got our feelings in the open?

"I…guess we would work it out along the way or something…" was my reply. I felt bit stupid now.

My dad let out a deep sigh, sliding his hand down his face in slight exasperation.

"Don't worry about, I was in the same dilemma with your mother," he smiled, placing a warm hand on my shoulder. "I suggest talking to her and spend some time alone with her. There you might just connect more – perhaps you'll even learn something new."

"That's a good idea! I can take her to the park!"

"That's a good start," he agreed wholeheartedly.

We stood there quietly for a moment, then he spoke again.

"You know, the way I see it…," another chuckle formed on his lips, "you are going to be breaking a lot of boys' hearts when they find out she already has you."

"Oh…Dad!!"

He received a light punch in the arm.

--

Meanwhile, Sakaki was making her way back home.

She would have preferred to stay longer, with me and my dad, but she had her mother to think of. Her mother, whom always expected her to be home everyday after school. She would get bit suspicious if she arrived and saw Sakaki wasn't there without an explanation.

So, she hurried along and made it just in time as a black car pulled into the driveway while she closed the door shut.

Quickly, Sakaki sat down at the couch in the living room and made herself innocuous as possible, spreading her homework on the coffee table.

Not a moment sooner, the door clicked open and her mother appeared in the hall, her straight-backed and black-dressed figure imposing. Sakaki could feel the glare from her glasses on the back of her head.

Soon, she heard her come closer, her footsteps echoing on the hardwood floor.

Immediately, Sakaki felt the guilt, the dread of her mother looking deep into her and discover a secret, a secret she must not know.

Sakaki stiffened as her mother looked over her shoulder, down at the open notes. She always made sure Sakaki was doing her work before she did anything else. That was how she noted her daughter met her standards of 'perfect'. But Sakaki was not perfect; she had never been.

Her mother sighed as she saw the doodles on the lined papers.

"You work hard, I'm proud of that, but…you worry me sometimes."

Sakaki knew why. How could she not know?

Those doodles, the stuffed cats, the distractions. Everyday – every single day – her mother disapproved, reminded, and lectured her about it.

Sakaki could not help it, though, as it was what kept her sane. It was her escape. Escape from what? That is another story to be told later on…

Her mother closed the notebook and gripped her shoulder. Sakaki cringed with a touch of fear, her mother's touch never felt welcoming. When it made contact, it made Sakaki feel exposed, as if her mother could now see through her.

All the same, her mother said in a formal tone, "A brilliant girl like you should not let herself be led astray by…_those_ trivial distractions. They're nothing but hindrances. They will do nothing but only hold you back from success, understand?"

"Yes Mother."

"So, put _those_ out of your mind and there will be no trouble."

"Yes Mother."

Her mother let go of her cold grip, and was about to turn away, when Sakaki suddenly spoke up.

"…Mother?"

"Yes, my daughter?"

"I…"

Sakaki said nothing. What good would it do anyway?

"Nothing."

"I see..."

And her mother walked away, leaving Sakaki alone.

Tonight, her worries returned.

--

…Cats…

Next day was a change of pace as Sakaki and I walked to school together. When I saw her waiting outside at the gate, that was a surprise but a pleasurable one. After kissing my sleepy-eyed dad good-bye, I ran out to meet her.

I took her hand in mine and kissed near her chin to show I still loved her. I always would. Sakaki returned a smile, yet she seemed distracted by something else.

We were on our way down the street when a gray cat walked into our path. I'd recognize that little bastard anywhere – he was Sakaki's mortal enemy in kitty form. Despite my urging to show discipline, he always had the best of Sakaki, and seeing the look on her face, I knew too well that the same thing was going to happen again.

Sakaki had formed a small smile on her face and stepped forward. At that same moment, the cat came closer. I, however, pulled her arm back.

"Scram!" GET LOST!"

The cat darted away. Good for him, I might have hit him again just in case.

Sakaki stared at the fleeing cat then turned to me, glaring incredulously.

"Why do you always do that?" she asked in a whisper.

A deep sigh. This time, no more petty scolding, I was really going to get it into her head.

"Because, _because_," I stared into her face, hoping to get a clear message across. "Those cats are always biting you and yet you hold back, you let them hurt you. Why? _Why?_"

A pause.

"They will come to see I am not a bad person and allow me to pet them," she replied confidently.

Another sigh. Typical Sakaki.

"No!" I grabbed her shoulder. "No, Sakaki, they are not going to. They're making a toy out of you, Sakaki! They're animals! So get that fantasy out of your mind, you have to take a stand against them."

"I…" Sakaki stammered. "…I couldn't…"

"Sakaki please," I poured out the truth. "Sakaki…I hate to see you hurt. I don't like those cats…I've been trying to help you to show some discipline, but you ignore me, so I have to resort to scaring those cats off."

Sakaki blinked.

"Honestly, you're bigger and smarter than them," I continued. "You should be the boss, not them, try to show that!"

"I…" she looked away. "I can't…hurt them…"

Groaning, I leaned against her arm. "Then please, _please show some self-control_. You can do that, can't you?

"Ignore them…maybe they'll even warm up to you somehow," I added for her sake.

Another pause, then Sakaki slowly smiled, but it looked forced. This would be hard for her.

"I-I'll try…"

I returned the gesture. "Don't worry, I'm here to help."

We then resumed our walk to school.

…At School…

As we stood by the shoe lockers, I was met with the prospect of seeing the gang shortly enough after what I had gone through and felt something inside me ready to burst. Confidence.

Ever since I told my dad and Sakaki, I felt like I could tell the whole world now.

And what a better way to start off by telling our good friends?

I knew I could trust them, but Sakaki had different thoughts in mind.

Before I could move away, she pulled me back into a corner away from the other gathering students.

"Sakaki?"

She seemed to have sensed what I had in mind and didn't appreciate it, as I could tell in her serious expression.

"Kagura," she whispered. "I do not want them to know."

"But they're our friends!" I protested. "We can trust them."

"I…" she hesitated. "What if they let it slip? What if it spreads? I…don't want that…"

Now Sakaki was worried about her public image? This coming from a girl whom admitted she wished people would see her more differently?

"Come on, Tomo might have a big mouth," I reassured, "but I'm sure she could keep it shut if she knows better."

"No…" Sakaki shook her head. "I want to keep this quiet, I…I'm not ready…please?"

Her look was so desperate, I had to give in.

"Okay…but we will still tell them when the time comes right?"

I felt little bit hurt, but understood. Sakaki has a hard time being open as I am – whether it's by choice or not, that is.

"Okay," she smiled gently back. "Just not now."

We returned to the crowd and walked up two flights of stairs to our classroom. I glanced at Sakaki's free hand, longing to hold it. A deep sigh.

Don't worry, you'll be holding it again soon enough, I assured myself.

As we made it, we were greeted by a smiling Chiyo.

"Good morning!"

We made our usual greetings and separated. As I sat in my seat, I looked back at Sakaki sitting down by the window while the pigtailed prodigy walked towards her.

--

Sakaki stared out at the cloud-dappled sky briefly, sighing.

She thought again about yesterday, contemplating everything. She was immediately brought back to attention, though ,when Chiyo spoke to her.

"Sakaki?" she said quietly after she looked sideways. "Yesterday…did it work? Are you fine now?"

It took a moment before Sakaki realized what she meant, and she gained a small blush as she looked over to where I was. She smiled softly, then nodded.

"Yes."

"Ah, good!" Chiyo beamed, her pigtails bobbing. "That's good to hear!"

_But…_ Sakaki frowned slightly as she leaned her chin on her raised hand. _Is it for sure?_

Another reason behind why Sakaki had told me to keep our relationship quiet was because she was still considering her thoughts. True, she was pleased, but something held her back. Those conflicting views again, she was still struggling with them. She wanted to get through that before she made sure this relationship was 'official'.

What if we had come out now, then there were some problems and it didn't work out in the end? Sakaki could not stand the idea of another great upset, and possible embarrassment, for me.

Of course, I did not know that yet, but she didn't want to worry me.

…_Damn it…_ Sakaki exhaled in frustration.

--

I noticed that Sakaki looked bit moody after Chiyo had left her desk, but I did not get the chance to ponder for a distraction came up.

"Oi, Kagura!" shouted a familiar voice, and I looked to see the hyper Tomo smiling widely at me. Osaka was nearby, watching with her usual spacey look.

"What's up fellow leader?" she asked with her arms crossed. "You look like you've been through something big."

I turned to Sakaki again and had to smile.

"You could call it that."

Tomo was about to say something more but at that moment, our teacher, Yukari, bursted into the room. And so class began afterwards.

Lunch soon arrived, and to my disappointment, I saw Sakaki had left without telling me.

Why would she do that? Aren't we together now?

I was really hurt, so I felt no desire to follow her, but then Chiyo's news cheered me up.

She came in carrying a packet, announcing: "The sports festival is coming up!"

The sports festival! I was thrilled to hear it; I really enjoyed the events, and now with Sakaki…Well, this should be even more fun.

Suddenly, Osaka burst out, "BREAD WARS!"

"Huh?"

We stared at her – me, Chiyo, Tomo, and the bespectacled Yomi. She was now standing up with a determined expression, squeezing the bean paste out of her bread.

"Hmm?" I assume Chiyo had just blinked, tilting her head, because my attention was focused on Osaka.

"Bread wars!" she repeated. "Is there a bread eating competition?"

A rustle of papers, then a reply. "Yes, there is!" Chiyo said happily.

Osaka's look was filled with glee, and she proceeded to go over to her desk. She soon took out a roll of string and a new piece of bread. Chiyo followed her curiously, and the girl went on to do whatever she was planning.

This should be interesting; I dropped in to check it out.

Osaka was having a slight problem with inserting the string, so I made a helpful suggestion.

"Maybe they use a hook." At least, that's what I thought.

Osaka blanked out for a moment in whatever fantasy she was thinking, then returned with a horrified expression. Chiyo followed suit instantly.

"They let us do something that dangerous??"

Maybe not.

Prior to the interesting moment with Osaka, I completely forgot about my disappointment of Sakaki and felt better enough to go look for her. So I left the class on my search but had to be quick as the lunch period was coming to a close.

--

Sakaki sat alone on the rooftop. She had learned of its place from Chiyo and how it was a great place to enjoy lunch in pleasant weather.

Sakaki had to admit, it certainly had a relaxing feel to it, and she felt as if she could think more with ease. But her thoughts were anything but comforting.

She had left Kagura behind for a reason, the same reason that she didn't want to upset her.

She was thinking again about yesterday and how she had reacted. She was soon wondering whether she had done it right…Did she move in too fast?

The events had flown by so fast, and Sakaki, filled with confusion and couldn't properly think enough, went along with it to a quick acceptance. At least, that was how she felt.

The acceptance had satisfied both of them, but it wasn't enough for Sakaki. She was still having conflicts of her own, so to speak.

_Kagura is nice…I do like her…but…I don't know…maybe I moved to fast…I still feel…like something's wrong…_

She remembered how she had said "I love you" to me and suddenly felt very awkward. These were strong words, and she felt as if she had misused them.

She sighed deeply and finished the rest of her lunch.

_I should be getting back to class soon…_

She did not get the chance to get up, however.

"Sakaki?"

--

I found her easily enough. Where else would she be? I learned that the rooftop was a good place to have lunch with just your friends or by yourself, away from the noisy rooms below.

"Kagura?"

Sakaki looked bit surprised to see me climbing up the stairs.

"There you are." I stepped towards her and sat beside her.

Immediately, I sensed that something was troubling her by the way she avoided direct eye contact. Maybe that's why she left me behind without an explanation?

"Sakaki," I turned her face to mine gently.

I've learned from my dad that if someone is having a hard time with themselves, it's always best to lend an ear. And I could tell Sakaki was definitely upset. Somehow I knew this would be expected sometime sooner or later.

"Sakaki," I called again, "is there something you would like to tell me?"

Sakaki quivered. She tried to look away, but I kept our gaze firm.

"Sakaki, I am your friend," I said calmly. "And I love you, I want you to know that whatever it is, you can tell me. I won't get angry or anything, I'm here to listen."

A pause.

"I…" Sakaki inhaled. "I didn't want to worry you…"

"I see…" I nodded then brought her close into a hug, her body felt so warm and soft in my arms. "We can talk about it after school, promise?"

"I…promise."

"Good," I kissed her neck briefly then helped her up.

We were late. I led her down back to our class, and there was our next period teacher looking at us furiously.

"Get to your seats, or I'll give you detention," he strictly warned.

At least it wasn't Kimura; I hated to think what he might say.

…The Park Date…

As our last class ended, I told Sakaki where we would be going.

"We'll go to the park."

I knew it would be a good place to talk, just two of us. With all the space, there was little chance of being bothered. Sakaki approved.

We waved our friends off after we walked together to the end of the school grounds. Sakaki hesitated before we could move on; she stared off in the other direction which led to the neighborhood. Then I heard her murmur. "No, I promised."

She returned to me with a small smile. "Let's go."

I gladly took her hand in mine again, and we went down the street leading to the park.

Along the way, we encountered the same cat from before. I glared at him then felt Sakaki pull away loosely. Quickly I clutched her arm.

"Sakaki," I reminded, looking up at her.

"…Right."

We continued on with her dragging behind, a look of longing on her face. I just shook my head. Oh brother.

We made it to our destination a short time later. I screened the park landscape for a good spot.

"There!" I pointed to a small group of trees near a pond and led Sakaki towards it. We soon sat down. The grass was very comfortable – we could practically sleep on it if we had the time. I soon huddled up closer to Sakaki as we leaned against the bark of the leafy tree shading us. I looked up at the sky through its branches with her.

"Gosh, this is a really great spot, isn't it?"

"Mm…" Sakaki nodded.

Now it was time. I rested my head against her shoulder as I caressed her hand.

"Now, talk to me," I said.

"…" Sakaki trembled. "I…"

"It's all right," I stroked her face with my other hand. "Let it out, say what bothers you. I'll be listening."

Sakaki bowed her head then faced me.

"I am still…conflicted…" she whispered. "I…"

She paused, I gave her time.

"…I…yesterday, what happened went very quick…I was confused, so I tried to think, and so I did, and for a moment it was clear…but now, I am confused again…Did I accept too soon? Is this true? It…"

She hesitated.

"This is so new…" she sighed. "I am not so sure…I…feel awkward…"

Another pause.

"I did not want to upset you…because…I am still thinking…"

She had no more to say, so I took my turn.

"Sakaki…the only time you could worry me is when you don't talk to me. It's not good for you to be keeping all your worries to yourself. It's unhealthy, got that Sakaki?"

"…"

"Now…" I knew how she felt and was wise not to push it. "What you're feeling is the same way I felt when I was figuring out new love for the first time."

I held her hands.

"I will not pressure you, just relax and take your time," I reassured her. "Take your time to think this through. Just remember that I'm here for you no matter what decision you come to. We will get through this together."

She stared at me for the longest moment, then, something happened. For a second, I saw bold determination in her eyes. It was exhilarating.

"We will." she nodded.

I gave her smile, then we looked back to the sky which was slowly changing into the colors of passion fruits. I guess it was time to be getting home.

We stood, and Sakaki gazed up at the tree.

"Kagura?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can we come back here everyday…to talk?"

"Of course, we can."


	5. Sports Festival

Together Always

Together Always

The Sports Festival

Author's Note: Well now I feel more confident! It's the sports festival!

True to their words, the girls return to the park as always, but they also prepare for the fun and games. Along the way, just as Kagura's father suggested, they both learn some new things from each other…

Obviously, anime/manga elements are involved. Be aware some quotes may not be as exact though, I'm just mixing things a little.

--

"Where were you?"

Sakaki's mother swiveled her cream armchair from the large window to the hallway, where Sakaki stood across from her, frozen in mid step.

A few moments ago, Sakaki had dropped her friend off at her home and made her way back to her own. Upon seeing no black car in the driveway, she breathed with hope that today she wouldn't be caught. She was wrong. She had forgotten about the garage which her mother occasionally parked inside.

Sakaki said nothing. She heard her mother sigh, the chair creak, and heels clicking towards her. She watched the floor, and her black heels came into sight. It wasn't that her mother did not care for proper etiquette – it was her own house and she felt the right to wear her heels inside.

Sakaki felt her chin being pushed up firmly, though not too harshly, and now looked at her mother's face. She was looking right at her glaring glasses, to be specific.

"I will ask you one more time... Where were you?" She asked again, her voice raised but not angry. "Why was it that I came home and found you absent?"

"Uh…"

"It is not hard, just say where you were and why you have come home late," her mother said in a crisp, cool tone that suited her businesslike posture.

She lowered her hand and Sakaki relaxed. It had been cold.

"…" she paused. "I went to the park, Mother…"

"The park?" Her eyebrows arched up perplexedly. "…That's it?"

"…It was nice, Mother." Sakaki mumbled.

The woman nodded, as she cared.

"Well, that is good to hear," she said, "but you should not be walking off without letting me know…Now, should you not be doing your homework?"

She pointed to the schoolbag and Sakaki immediately sat down at the coffee table, taking her papers out.

"That's my girl," she commented approvingly on Sakaki's quickness. "Focus now on your work. I will be on my way."

She left the hall for her room upstairs.

Yet, Sakaki focused on nothing but seeing me and the park again tomorrow.

…Though the first choice came sooner than expected for her.

…The Runner…

Since Sakaki came home later than usual, around that point of time, she usually dropped by Chiyo's place to walk with her and her Great Pyrenees dog. She spent it today finishing her homework instead. Then, she had to change out of her uniform, and after doing so, she went out to sit on the concrete steps. She sighed heavily, having missed the chance to meet the child and her dog for the first time.

She looked up at the sky, which was now a swirl of deep blue with streaks of citrus orange and salmon pink swimming along the horizon. She could already see the first twinkle of a star near the sunset. It was a beautiful sight. Suddenly, she wished there was someone else beside her, watching this sight with her.

Another deep sigh. The sunset star always reminded her of how lonely she was. Sure, she had friends, but that did not exactly fill that spot. It would be lovely to have a companion…Then she thought of me and about what I had said.

_Kagura…I wonder if she ever looks up at the sky the same way as I do?_

Just then, she heard footsteps from a distance, pounding against the dirt road. Since it was all so quiet, aside from the small humming of electricity, she heard it easily enough. Sakaki raised her head to see who was jogging at this time.

To her surprise, it was me whom came running along the white fence, garbed in my usual green track suit and worn sneakers.

"Kagura?"

I was bit surprised myself too, actually. I whirled around to see her sitting across the front yard.

"Sakaki?"

Up until now, I had always passed this way on my evening runs and never thought this would be Sakaki's home. Small world, I guess. Then again, we do live in the same neighborhood.

"I didn't know you lived here," I called over to her, catching some breath as I gripped a brick address marker for support.

I looked over her house – it was big and spacious compared to my own smaller home. "…Nice place."

Sakaki glanced back and strode her way across the grass towards me.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.

I chuckled. "Sakaki, I run along here every evening."

"…Why?"

A pause. That was so simple a question, it should have been obvious.

"I'm practicing," I smiled. "Good exercise for the muscles, you know."

"…And?"

I blinked. Bit trickier to answer, but I knew it. I just thought a bit about what all this running truly meant to me.

"Because it motivates me... the fresh air, all I see on my runs," I answered. "Everyday is always different,.I enjoy taking in the sights and it just keeps me going…It's…well, you should give it a shot sometime to see what I mean."

"That sounds…" Sakaki trailed off, taking a moment. "…beautiful…"

I felt my cheeks warm up. "Please, it's just running."

She then looked up at the sky, at the lone glittering star specifically. "That's nice…"

I then remembered something. "Oh yeah! The sports festival's next week!"

Sakaki returned to me, her face reading no emotion. "Oh."

"Yeah, I can't wait," I continued, unable to bear the excitement. "We'll give it our best! This'll be great!"

She just nodded. "Mmm…"

I noticed a light had clicked on inside one of the windows in the background – one of Sakaki's parents must be home (I did not know that she lived only with her mother yet).

"Oh yeah, my dad's coming to watch," I added, leaning forward. "Yours coming too?"

Sakaki shot a quick glance backwards. I saw her tremble, though I assumed it was the chilly wind.

"I-I don't know…" came her stuttered reply. "…Um…I-I'll see you later…"

"All right." I came closer as I was interested. "Say, maybe I could meet them sometime?"

"…M-maybe," Sakaki replied shakily. The weather must be doing a number on her nerves.

"I think you should better get inside though," I said, concerned. "It's a bit cold out."

"I will." she nodded. "Bye."

"Bye."

And I was on my way. When I had moved farther on, I yelled back a reminder. "The park, we'll go again!"

She waved. I waved back. I kept waving till I turned a corner and left her completely. I turned back to my jogging, smiling.

Sakaki was smiling too; she lowered her hand after I had disappeared from her sight, then sighed. She stood in the darkening night, thinking.

She thought about me and my reason for running.

_She really does go at it…The drive to a goal…I admire that…_

Unlike me, Sakaki really never felt compelled to accomplish a big goal, just drifting along as it was all natural to her. She couldn't explain how she was so damn good at sports activities, she just did it. The only times Sakaki ever felt a need to push herself was just a subconscious urge to pet those cats, and that never turned out to be fulfilling.

…_I want to have a purpose…_

She looked up at the sky.

…_Could she help me earn it?_

--

For the following days until the prep day before the sports festival, all was pretty much routine. We went to school, then the park, where we sat and talked. And as usual, we would separate with me giving her a goodbye kiss. Yet, there had been a change in our evening schedule ever since I confessed, and we both knew it.

Instead of jogging along that particular street alone, I always met Sakaki at the post, where she waited for me. Sometimes, she even had a drink ready for me which I was glad to accept. We would talk some more and our conversation usually went like this:

"Why don't you come running with me, too?"

Sakaki would pause as she considered and would then turn away.

"Maybe later."

"Okay then, see you."

And I jogged on.

As for school, so far, so good. Nobody suspected a thing, even though I was eager to tell. But I promised I wouldn't until Sakaki had her thoughts straightened out and was prepared. Either way her decision goes, I'll still love her no matter what. She's my greatest friend.

Every day, the fest came closer, and I grew more excited. I wondered if Sakaki was feeling the same as me?

"Sakaki, the fest is so close! Can't you feel it?" I asked one day as I sipped her glass of iced tea.

"Mmm…not really…" Sakaki muttered, lowering her eyes as she sat on the sidewalk.

"Hmm?" That was a surprise – how can you not be excited for a festival? Especially a sports one! "Why not?"

But she said nothing, lost in thought.

--

She thought about a talk she had with her mother earlier that week. When she had come in late again, her mother glared up at her from the table disapprovingly, then resumed her work on important papers.

"Sorry Mother, the park is just nice," Sakaki apologized timidly.

Her parent said nothing, giving a dismissive shake of her head as she looked down at her papers.

Sakaki shifted her feet nervously, unsure of what to do. Finally, she willed herself to walk over to the table and sit down.

"…Mother?"

"Yes?"

"…I was wondering if…" Sakaki rubbed her hands shyly, she had to ask. "…Would you go to the sports festival this week to watch me?"

It was worth a try; ever since I mentioned my dad coming to watch me, she was curious if her mother would ever do the same. She had to know.

Her mother stopped, putting down her pen as she removed her glasses. She stared at Sakaki with her deep brown eyes – the only thing about her that ever gave warmth. She actually looked to be thinking it over, half of her seeming to accept, the other half not. Finally…

"Daughter, do you know what you are saying?" she replied softly. "I work, I could not make it."

"Oh…" Sakaki bowed her head. Of course...

"I'm sorry." The glasses returned to her face, and she was as fiercely cool as ever. "In another time I could have, but not anymore."

Sakaki just nodded and retired to her bedroom, where she thought unhappy thoughts.

"Hello?"

Sakaki snapped back to reality, blinking as I waved a hand in front of her face. This happened frequently, actually. I just hoped she'd grow out of it someday.

She looked up at me, staring. Her mother's words echoed in her mind.

"_In another time I could have, but not anymore."_

Her mother could not be here for her as she used to in the past. But now, she had me as a friend…maybe, hopefully something more. I would always be there for her, she thought. I would never let her down.

Sakaki smiled gently.

"Ah, so you are ready for the fest!" I responded the same, having no clue what just went through her mind.

"Yes," was all Sakaki said.

--

…Day Before Festival…

Finally, it was here!…Well, almost…It was just prep day, that is. But I was still thrilled, bursting to go as Tomo was, too.

Sakaki was nowhere to be seen, but I had no doubt I would see her again soon. I couldn't keep waiting, though, as I needed to move and do something from all my excitement.

"God, I can't wait!"

"Me too, me too!" Tomo screamed, giggling annoyingly.

"With all the energy you've got, why don't you help us out?" Yomi asked from afar, as Chiyo stood beside her.

Great idea! We zoomed up to her and helped set the poles up for the tent. Then, Tomo decided to be a moron and bumped into me on purpose. As I was still pumped up with all this excitement, I couldn't help but do the same.

"Quit fooling around," Yomi muttered.

Laughing together, we bounced around until I fell against something hard and saw the whole tent crumble down into a heap.

"Oh."

"It…fell…" Chiyo said.

I couldn't help it, I just couldn't. Ever since I had been young, whenever I got the sense I had done something bad – even though if it was just an accident – I had to cry. I forced myself to try to hold it back, reminding myself it was a little mistake and we could fix it, but the hyper girl wasn't helping matters.

"It was almost finished, and you broke it! You broke it!" she shouted gleefully.

I'm sure she meant no harm, but hearing that made it worse. Don't cry, don't cry, I told myself. It didn't work – a small sob had escaped.

"I-I'm sorry…" My eyes blurred with tears.

I turned to the fuzzy image that was Chiyo. "You worked so hard on it, then I…"

The guilt, I couldn't always help but feel the guilt.

"Why do I have to be like that?" Rubbing my eyes, I bent down pick up the poles. "I should just put it back myself…"

"Really…it's okay…" Chiyo stammered, but she was cut off by the frantic Tomo, who was actually feeling bad for once.

And of course, she tried to cheer me up in her own, silly way.

"No, no, no!" she waved her arms. "This is when you're supposed to say 'It was Tomo's fault!' Don't be so responsible all the time!"

Responsible? I guess that's just my fault of nature.

After some reassuring by Chiyo, I felt better and helped her set it back up. Tomo then thought it would be hilarious to be a moron again and bumped into me. Since the scenario with the tent falling, I wasn't as energetic and responded smartly, "WHAT HECK ARE YOU DOING??"

"That's more like it!" Tomo grinned.

"Quit being an idiot," Yomi scolded.

--

Meanwhile, Sakaki had been watching this happen with a blushing fascination.

_She is so sensitive…she really is sweet…_

After the tent was finally set up, she came forward to meet me.

"Kagura."

"Sakaki." My voice was as quiet as hers.

Suddenly, she led me away from our friends and behind the tent, under the shade of a single, thin tree.

She then brushed at my still wet cheeks, making my face feel warm again.

She said nothing, only smiling at me with her amazing blue eyes.

Later, when we went to the park, I noticed she sat even closer to me.

Well, now we were making progress...

…The Sports Festival…

"Have fun and best of luck to you," said my dad as I was preparing to set off for the games.

"Thanks Dad, I will," I nodded.

"But…" he frowned looking down, I got the meaning.

He disapproved of those really short shorts. Actually, he disapproved of anything that revealed more than a thigh, or shoulder, of skin on me.

"Dad, they're part of the school uniform code," I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, I know, but must they be so…short?" he muttered. "I don't see why you can't wear shorts like the boys."

I had to kind of agree, though. When you've got a teacher like Kimura, you may tend to second-think some things.

A faint cry of "Long live the bloomers!" echoed through the grounds. I felt a shudder.

My dad chuckled, shaking his head. "A good guy, but crazy."

It made sense he would know some of the teachers around here, considering he went to this same school many years ago, but the idea of my dad knowing a teacher like Kimura sent the chills down my spine.

"You know…"

"Yes, I know," he grinned.

"_He hit on me_, Dad," I managed to squeak out.

"It's all harmless fun," he ruffled my hair, but that didn't comfort me. "Now, go off and enjoy your sports fest."

I swear, you can't understand that guy sometimes.

I joined my friends...and Kimura dropped by like a flash of lightning. Petrifying when it happened close by, but a relief when it disappeared.

He's a nut, my dad's a nut, all guys are nuts. I'm sort of glad my love ended up being a girl, really.

"I will be _so_ glad when we finally get away from this," Yomi hissed, still keeping her shirt pulled down.

"_I know_," I agreed.

Sakaki made it to the fest shortly afterwards, and I had never felt so more relieved to see her. I nearly ran into her in a tackle-hug, but remembered myself, and settled on a brief holding of hands.

"I saw," she grimaced.

"No more reminders, please," I exhaled.

Finally, the fest started, and we really did have the time of our lives. Now that Sakaki knew of my love for her, it made the events seem special. I would always remember this day. Together we raced, tugged, all various sort of games. It was towards the end, though, that our time together would really spark.

The costume competition came up, and I discovered that Tomo was very dedicated to her dream goal. She was dressed in the navy blue woman's uniform of a policewoman, while Chiyo was dressed as a criminal. I'm serious...She was even hidden under a coat with handcuffs. The only two questions I had in my mind were: One, had she been planning this ahead? Two, how was she going to free Chiyo?

After the greetings, they went to join the other costumed participants and took their places. As soon as the starting pistol pierced the air, they shot off.

"Can she really do that?" I commented after Tomo had charged through the crowd like it was nothing with the poor Chiyo in tow.

"I wonder what Chiyo's guilty of?" Osaka said.

They won the race, though I am still surprised they hadn't been disqualified for all that rampage Tomo had caused. When they met up with us, Chiyo raised her bound hands.

"Can we get those off?" she asked. "They're hurting my wrists."

"No can do," Tomo grinned. "I threw out the key."

Utter disbelief – Chiyo looked like she was about to cry. "B-but…"

"Of all moronic…"

Suddenly, Tomo held up a glistening silver key. "Gotcha."

Yomi proceeded to slap her upside her head. "Idiot!"

Next was the bread eating competition which Osaka had been looking forward to all the past week, happily joining others. But as the speaker drawled on about different flavors of the breads and the rules, she gained a look of doubt. This was not good.

As the pistol blasted off, she hesitated, unsure where to go. She dragged behind her rivals and came into last place. Still, she looked happy enjoying her acquired treat, so it wasn't too bad.

Now before the final event, it was time for cheerleading and girls were going off into the locker rooms to change. I took this opportunity to take some time alone with Sakaki, but we barely got a chance to take a restful seat on the grass when Tomo came running up with a large plastic tote bag. What did she want now?

"Come with me," she announced, tilting her head back.

"What for?"

"I'll show you," she waved as she walked towards the rooms.

I didn't trust this, but I was interested to hear what she had in mind, so we got up to follow her.

She led us into an empty corridor between walls of metal lockers and set her bag on a bench.

"Now what?"

"Check this out," she tugged the bag open.

I checked its contents and stepped back in confusion. "What are those?"

"Those," Tomo pulled out a large black coat. "Are what will help motivate our team!"

"I…" A pause as I took it in consideration.

"Brilliant," I grinned. I would do anything for spirit, and I just love being pumped.

"Yeah, why should cheerleaders get all the fun?" Tomo chuckled, pulling out its articles. "Here, put these on."

"You have our sizes?" I couldn't help being surprised. "How long have you been planning this?"

"A long time," Tomo replied. "Figured we'd make our last sports fest together a memorable event!"

"But why Sakaki, though?" Usually if I and Tomo did anything together, Osaka was there to join. Sakaki wasn't exactly a 'member' to begin with, either.

"Can you imagine Osaka in these clothes?"

The idea was bit funny I admit, I chuckled. "All right, you do have a point."

I took my sizes then another thought in me formed. "…How exactly did you get Sakaki's sizes?"

"Easy, I stole my dad's pants," Tomo pulled one out.

"Okay…you sure it'll actually fit her?"

"Of course!" Tomo retorted then giggled. "If it's still too small for her, then we have a problem!"

Sakaki let out a very deep sigh. I sensed she wasn't pleased with the subtle 'giant' crack Tomo had made.

"Let's just put these on," I quickly said before any more comments were made.

Sakaki took her clothes bundle; she did not look as excited as Tomo and I. Of course, she really never showed her excitement, but she still looked bit sadder this time. She then looked my way and gained a pink blush.

Of course, now that we knew my feelings, changing in the same room was going to be…awkward. Tomo was oblivious to this, darting off to a corner to change.

Sakaki turned her back to me and slowly pulled her shirt up.

Look away, look away, I urged myself. I shouldn't be gawking at her. Very slowly, with each push, I finally willed myself to look away modestly. I still couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment, though.

After I put on the white midriff and the pants, I finally sneaked a peek. Sakaki was dressed the same, but she was now focused on something else, peering from behind the lockers.

God, her bare arms and back looked so good. I soon walked up beside her, trying my best not to touch her and see what was holding her attention. I heard some chattering and found Yomi and Chiyo passing by, now in their cheerleader outfits. Upon a closer glance, I saw she was looking sadly after them. Why?

"Sakaki?"

She whirled her head around to me in surprise.

"Oh," she frowned then looked back.

Looking between her and the duo, it took me a moment to register what Sakaki seemed so longing for. I had to smile; it was part of her softer side.

"…You want to wear those instead, don't you?"

"I…" Sakaki gasped, turning a deep shade of pink as she turned her head away. "Well…no, I just couldn't…" She then shook her head. "It won't look right, it never will."

"Sakaki…" I raised my hand to touch her shoulder, but she moved away.

Then Tomo burst in, fully dressed in the punk outfit and waving a flag pole.

"Let's get this started!" she shouted.

"Watch where you're holding that thing!" I yelled in warning as she swung it towards me, nearly hitting me in the process.

Sakaki seemed not to notice as she glumly put on her coat.

"Here, you take this," Tomo pushed to flag into her hands. "You're stronger."

"Ok…" Sakaki said glumly.

If anyone's morale was going to be boosted in this fest, I thought, she definitely needed it the most. I decided I had to do something for her. Firstly, a talk...

"Sakaki?" I walked to her after we had gotten back outside and received some feedback from some admiring people.

She just nodded, staring at the ground.

I gave her a moment before I began. I thought I would state the obvious first. "Sakaki, everyone is really enjoying this festival. They're all so hyped up about it. Why aren't you? You seem really quiet about it…Is there a problem?"

She sighed again, fiddling with the pole. "That's just it…I just don't feel very motivated…I mean…"

Course, her natural abilities. It must have felt a bit empty to her, I realized, without really needing to make a real effort like most other people. But that should not be an issue.

"It's not about winning the events, it's the atmosphere, Sakaki," I said. "Look at all those people, enjoying themselves…Doesn't that make you feel the same way?"

A pause as she viewed the crowd, and then she bowed her head. "No, sorry."

"…Then what about your friends?" I added. "We're motivated, we're having our time of our lives! Wasn't it great, doing those activities together then?"

Sakaki's face lightened up at this. "I guess you're right…still…"

Understandingly, I held her shoulder. "It'll come."

--

"All right, it all comes down to this!" Yukari shouted before the class as the relay race neared. "Just win this damn thing and I'll be richer!"

She chuckled lightly, rubbing her hands.

"What about our juices?" Tomo raised her hand.

"Oh, they'll come…" the teacher muttered, waving a hand dismissively. "Now! Don't you all let me down!"

"B-but Miss Yukari…" Chiyo whimpered, trembling.

"I said 'Don't let me down!'" she yelled back with a warning glare. "Everyone got that?"

The crowd just mumbled, some students shrugging. I looked at the shaking girl.

Poor Chiyo, Yukari is really taking this too seriously.

"Hey Chiyo," I patted her head. "Don't worry too much about it all right? Just forget what Yukari says, we're going do our best no matter what."

"But…" she looked up at me with tearful eyes.

I thought of Sakaki and everyone else.

"We'll do our best together," I smiled at her.

Chiyo blinked then smiled back. "Okay, we will!"

The race was now just starting and Tomo was first up. As the gun set off, she started out with good speed, keeping up with the others.

"Wow, she really seems into it."

But then, her energy began to wear down and she dragged behind, gasping. Count on her to be all pep and no strength...

Yomi was the next, as she grabbed the baton from Tomo who then collapsed onto the track. She made up the lost distance, but it was still not enough to make it to the front.

Third was Osaka who then ran off, spreading her arms with a content face. Being as slow she was, however, she drastically fell behind.

"They're passing you! They're passing you!" Chiyo shouted to her in a panicked tone.

Soon, it was my turn. I grabbed the baton from Osaka and ran with all the speed I had. I was really into it, my arms and legs pumping as I made it through the crowd. I covered a good amount of distance, placing myself near the front. Not bad!

"Chiyo, go for it!" I managed to gasp out as I handed over the baton and watched her run off.

I bent over for air, feeling my heart thump against my chest; I enjoyed the feel of it.

I looked up to see her running, and I could tell she was giving her all, but she was falling behind. Uh oh.

Meanwhile, Sakaki stood along the track, watching the race. She saw Chiyo lagging, desperately trying to catch up with others.

"Chiyo…" she said quietly.

"Bwaha! You call that running?" she heard a guy say. "It's like they don't even want to win!"

The comment made Sakaki flare on the inside, and she remembered my words about motivation. _Well, here it is now._

With a surge of determination, she tied her hair back and dashed onto the track, grabbing Chiyo's baton.

"I'm sorry!" she cried out.

"It's fine!" Sakaki called back, running ahead.

She was going to do this not just for Chiyo, but for everyone else, and herself as well. She was really going to get into it.

I ran up to the wheezing Chiyo and said truthfully, "You did great out there, Chiyo!"

"But…so many people passed me…" she wailed.

"Don't worry, Sakaki will turn things around!" I believed in her.

"But…"

"WHOA!" Tomo yelled out, and our attention snapped back to the race where Sakaki was speeding through the group like a cheetah.

"Whoa…" I breathed. This was amazing; I could tell there was something different about her by the way she ran. This time, she was really running with a purpose. She had found it. I felt like I could cry – I am such a sap.

"Go Sakaki!" I yelled out, followed by a cheer.

Chiyo soon brightened up as she saw Sakaki reach to the front and finally joined in the cheering.

"Go Sakaki!"

"Yeah, hand it to me!" Yukari shouted out.

"Oh great, our last runner's our frickin' homeroom teacher!" Tomo groaned.

But that didn't matter to me; I was glad for Sakaki.

She handed it over and paused, panting lightly. She then looked over to us, smiling.

"You did great, Sakaki."

She simply nodded.

Just then, there was a commotion, and we turned to see that Miss Kurosawa had joined in, running alongside Yukari. Suddenly, as they were nearing the finish, Yukari slammed into her, knocking themselves down.

We could only stare at the sight, unaware of the winner's name being announced. They yelled at each other, then Yukari threw down the baton and slowly made her way over to us.

"We…we so close, weren't we?" she sighed, her clothes scuffed with dirt.

We said nothing.

--

As the people were leaving and clearing up after the festival, I met with Sakaki after we had set some tents down.

"Come with me," I told her. She looked confused but graciously let me take her hand and followed me into the lockers. After watching the cheerleading earlier today, I had gained an idea which I was sure Sakaki would appreciate. I took this cleaning up as a good time to show her as it would be just us.

But we never thought there would be another person there until later...

"Kagura, what is it?" Sakaki asked as I let go and looked through the lockers to find it.

"Sakaki…" I smiled as I opened one and took out a cheerleader's outfit, showing it to her. "This is it."

Sakaki's eyes widened, blushing. "No, I can't…"

She backed up against a locker, shaking her head. "I can't…"

This was why I had asked Yomi for permission to borrow her outfit (she had looked at me weirdly when I did but handed it over without trouble); I had to prove Sakaki wrong. Well, I was confident she would look good in it, and I would point it out to her. She really needed to lose her low self-esteem about her appearance.

"Come on, it'll look great on you!" I promised her.

"I…" Sakaki stammered.

"Come on," I sighed, lowering the outfit. "You won't know till you try it out, so give it a shot. I'm sure it won't be too bad."

"Well…" she paused. "Okay, but I still won't look right anyway."

"You will, trust me," I pushed her along.

I waited as she changed out of sight.

"Kagura?" she called out after she was done, peeking out.

"Come on out!" I grinned.

Timidly, she crept out until she was in full sight and gained a light blush. The yellow and blue outfit, while considerably smaller for her, looked so fitting on her. I am honest, she looked great. I couldn't help but giggle. To think Sakaki would look awkward in it!

However, she had taken my outburst the wrong way and turned sideways.

"I knew it," she said in a hurt tone.

"Oh, no, no!" I quickly went over to her. "You look great! It's just that…"

"I'm so big…" Sakaki mumbled. "I could never be pretty…or c-cute…"

What?

It had suddenly occurred to me that I never complimented on Sakaki's features even though I noticed them.

I looked over her; I admit, the outfit was pretty cute on her, too.

"That's not true," I smiled as we made eye contact. Those amazing blue eyes again…

"Know what I noticed the most about you?" I gazed into her eyes intently. "It was your eyes…They're so pretty…"

Sakaki blushed. "Really?"

"Yes," I nodded then placed a hand on her face. "Look Sakaki, you need to stop all these put-downs because in all honesty, you are amazing. Embrace yourself, Sakaki!"

We stood quietly for a moment then I added, "In case you're not satisfied, you really are cute in that outfit."

Sakaki blinked then smiled warmly. To my surprise, she grabbed my hands and sat down on a bench, pulling me down gently.

"Sakaki?"

"Shh…" she looked at me, her eyes softening.

Immediately, I felt goosebumps as she ran her hand through my hair and was pushed closer to her face. Oh my god…she was going to kiss me. We made contact and once again, an aura of warm bliss spread throughout my body. This time, though, it was more intense as she pressed against my lips, wrapping an arm around my body. I responded the same, now holding her head with my fingers entwined in her sleek black hair.

We would have gone on forever, but there was an interruption.

"What are you doing?"

We spun around, nearly falling off the bench itself. Our faces must have been red enough to pass off as tomatoes. Standing before us was none other than Chiyo, wearing a bemused expression. For some reason, this gave me relief…Just imagine if Tomo caught us…

"C-Chiyo…" Sakaki stammered.

"Forget it, she saw us," I held up a hand for her. No use in hiding it now – at least to Chiyo.

I turned back to her. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Um…" she looked guilty to have been intruding on us. "I saw you were gone, so I looked for you and heard you talking and…I-I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…"

"It's all right," I reassured her. "You just wanted to find us."

"B-but…what were you just doing now?" she tilted her head.

We blushed, then I took a deep breath and knelt down to her. I glanced back to Sakaki for acknowledgment. She nodded.

"Chiyo…can you keep a secret?" I asked, turning back to her.

"Sure I can!" she replied happily, her pigtails bouncing.

"All right…the reason we were kissing…that's what it was…is because we love each other very deeply."

"Hmm?"

Right, she was still young, so I did my best to explain it more without giving off a wrong impression or the like. The last thing I want is to be warping a child's young mind.

"What I mean is, we love each other, not just as friends, but much more than that…," I continued. "You ever seen your parents kiss and stuff?"

"Yeah," Chiyo nodded getting the idea. "Sometimes they go out during some nights together."

"That's the idea," I pointed. "It's like that, it's big love."

"Oh, I got it!" she nodded. "So you really love each other? I'm so happy for you."

"Great," I smiled. "But now, no one must ever know this yet, all right? It's…a surprise…"

"I see," Chiyo promised. "I won't tell anyone! Not even Mr. Tadakichi!"

"You can tell him," Sakaki suddenly said, then blushed.

Chiyo giggled. "Okay, but I won't tell anyone ever, I promise."

We trusted her. "I know you'll do a good job."

After Sakaki changed out of her cheerleader outfit, we went back outside.

"Oh…" Chiyo looked up at us. "What it's like?"

We looked at each other then giggled. I patted Chiyo's head. "You'll see when you're older."

We rejoined the others; they never did suspect a thing. I looked at Sakaki, she smiled. It had definitely been the best time of our lives.

--

After seeing me off, Sakaki went into her home. It was evening, a later time than she was expected back, and her mother would not be pleased again. It proved to be true.

The moment she stepped inside, she felt her fierce gaze like a spear.

She looked up to see her mother standing halfway up the stairs, her arms crossed.

"I have had enough of this," she frowned. "Too many times already, you have come home late as always, not letting me know where you are."

"I go to the park, Mother," Sakaki said quietly.

"I don't know if that is for certain," she exhaled, stepping down. "I have also seen, that when you wait outside, you always talk to that jogger that passes by every evening."

"She's my friend, Mother," Sakaki replied.

A pause. "Are you doing well in school?"

"Yes, I am, Mother," Sakaki said.

"I see, but I am concerned," her mother sighed. "The distractions, they just keep growing, how are you to keep your life in focus if you allow them?"

She left the stairs, walking towards Sakaki, and placed her grip on her daughter's shoulder.

"I don't want you to become lost," she said. "I would like you to settle down, ignore those distractions if you will get the meaning…"

Sakaki could not believe it. She wanted her to stop with the cats, stop going to the park... stop seeing Kagura?

"No," Sakaki pulled away.

"Look…" her mother reached out.

Sakaki stepped backwards, trembling. "I like my distractions."

Before her mother could say any more, she went back outside.

--

I was just walking down the street to my home when, to my surprise, Sakaki ran up to me.

"Sakaki?"

"Let's go to the park," she said as she held my hand.

"The park?" I looked up at the new night sky. "But it's dark…"

"Then we'll sit here," she replied, setting us down on a wooden bench under a lamp post. We looked up at the sky, now scattered with few stars.

"Sure is nice out," I commented.

Sakaki embraced me, gazing at me. Her eyes reminded me so much of the night sky from that evening.

"Oh, Sakaki…"

She leaned forward and again we kissed, this time it was soft. Afterwards, she broke away.

"You are my greatest distraction."


	6. Of Hazelnuts and Cats: The Cake

Together Always

Together Always

Of Hazelnuts and Cats:

The Cake

Author's Note: It is the start of autumn! Noticeable leaves of warm colors are falling, there is a chill in the wind, and our two girls grow closer! Better yet, they've got a supportive friend whom can be trusted.

But then a new somebody comes into their life and tests their very relationship-what could it be?

Firstly, there's a celebration…

Fun Fact: I actually looked up recipes for this.

Basically, the stories are 'minis'-short stories thought up to move along the main story itself. Either they're humorous or serious, all the same I hope you'll enjoy them!

--

"It's Yomi's birthday!!"

"What?"

We looked up to see Tomo, who had slammed through Chiyo's mansion doors just now. Chiyo, Sakaki, and I had been sitting in the living room where we had decided to start studying (God knows _I _needed it). The big tests were soon dawning on us, and it had been agreed that Chiyo's home would be a good place to prepare. Additionally, it was a good way to spend some time alone with Sakaki…sort of. 'Sort of' as Chiyo was around and our friends would keep stopping by to study as well.

Something seemed different about Tomo's intrusion, however. She looked…frantic. That was unusual. Usually, she was always looking happy whenever she dropped by.

"Don't just stand around!" she yelled at us. "Do something!"

"Wait, slow down," I held up my hands. "When is Yomi's birthday?"

"Today!" Tomo replied quickly. "Look, make a cake or something, I gotta go back – Osaka's distracting Yomi for the moment, and I don't know how much longer that'll last, so bye!"

I tried to call out some sense into Tomo. I was sort of infuriated with her, acting like she expected us to do what she said after her idiocy of waiting until the last minute on Yomi's birthday. Before I could say anything, though, she was gone, already running out into the front yard. We sat here in stunned silence, and then we sighed.

"What do we do now?" I asked, facing Chiyo and Sakaki.

"I guess…we make a cake," Chiyo tapped her chin.

I frowned. "But…I can't cook…"

That was the truth – I can't even boil water to save my life. My dad didn't even trust me near a microwave.

"That's not a problem," she reassured.

"You kidding?" I held out my hands. "These are disasters waiting to happen in the kitchen!"

Then Sakaki took hold of one of my flailing hands. I looked her way to see her smiling. "We'll all make it together."

I sighed then looked at the pile of papers on the table. At least, it would be a good way to get out of homework.

"Ok," I reluctantly nodded.

We entered the kitchen with Mr. Tadakichi, the dog, following us.

"So, what kind of cake do we make?" I seated myself at the counter while Chiyo checked along the cabinets and Sakaki simply stood next to me.

"Hmm…can you reach that for me?" Chiyo pointed to a shelf where various books were lined up, and Sakaki easily took one down with a whisk.

"Here," she said simply, placing it in Chiyo's hands.

"Thank you, Sakaki!" Chiyo smiled then set it on the counter, opening it up. "Let's see…what do you think Yomi would like?"

"How should I know?" I lowered my hand. "Try chocolate. You can't go wrong with chocolate."

I have yet to meet a person that hated chocolate, so it was a safe bet.

She flipped through the pages then gasped, stopping on a picture of a delicious looking cake.

"Here's a good one," she said. "Chocolate hazelnut cake."

"Mmm, sounds tasty," I approved.

"Let's see, first…" she then rambled on the recipe's directions, which I couldn't make heads or tails of. I grabbed my head, which was now buzzing.

Finally, she stopped, which allowed me rest my mind for a bit.

"Hmm, this all seems pretty straightforward," Chiyo nodded.

"Do we make the icing, too?" Sakaki pointed to the page.

"No, I don't think we may have the time," she shook her head, closing her book. "We'll substitute it with chocolate frosting. I have it around somewhere."

Half of it I managed to follow. My head began to hurt again. Why must cooking be as foreign as math and English? Perhaps I was better off studying.

"Let's get started!" Chiyo announced.

She then checked into the fridge for ingredients while Sakaki rummaged through the cabinets for cooking items. I felt awkward since I wasn't doing anything.

"Umm…should I go get the nuts or something?" I asked. "Maybe you don't have it around."

"Oh, but I do!" Chiyo smiled, placing a jar of it down along with cake mix and chocolates.

"Oh…how convenient…" I mumbled.

There was a clatter beside me, Sakaki had set down some bowls, spoons, and whatever those cups were called.

Chiyo opened up the jar, spilling out its contents and spread it into equal halves.

"Firstly, this half will be the topping, the other will go into the mix," Chiyo pointed between them. "Those, we'll have to chop up."

Sakaki nodded and brought back a sharp knife. She showed it to me. "You want to help?"

"Trust me, you don't want me to handle knives, either," I shivered.

After the nuts had been chopped up in quick succession due to Sakaki's nimble hands, Chiyo reread the recipe.

"Okay, let's see again...We have to make the cake and the chocolate mixture," she quoted. "Kagura, why don't you do the mix?"

"M-me?" I was lost for words. "Uh…I said I'm no good at cooking."

"It's simple," Chiyo said helpfully. "Put a double boiler on the stove and follow the directions."

She handed the book over to me. I looked at the recipe, and found out I could not comprehending it at all.

"Uh…ok…" I gulped. "I can do this…"

A pause. I had no idea what a double boiler was.

"Chiyo…?"

The black knob stared at me. I stared back.

The equipment and water had been set, all left was to turn on the oven. Or was it the stove? My hand trembled as I tried to reach towards it, but it wouldn't cooperate. Ever since an 'incident' from my childhood, I made it a point to stay the hell away from those things. Yet here I was, facing it down. Turn it on, I urged myself. So I did and jumped back immediately in case it exploded or something. It didn't. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Okay, now to put the chocolate and nuts in…then I felt hands on my arms. It was Sakaki, who soon rolled up my blue-white shirt sleeves. Her touch was so soft.

"Just in case," she explained. "You don't want it catching on fire."

"Thanks for the tip," I nodded and she returned to Chiyo.

So far, everything was going fine until…

"Oww!!"

I had burned myself on the arm; I must not have been watching carefully. It stung badly, my eyes blurred with tears despite my attempts to hold them back. Like a savior, however, Sakaki ran back to me and gently took my arm. I buried my face into her chest as she held me in a half-hug.

"I am such a wimp…" I moaned. If Sakaki – or even Chiyo – had gotten a burn, they would probably take it instead of crying over it.

"No, you're not," Sakaki reassured as she checked my reddened arm. "It's not too serious…Here, I'll give it a kiss."

She pecked the sore spot lightly, and the pain seemed to lessen.

"That better?"

"Oh, yes."

"Maybe you should take over the batter with Sakaki," Chiyo suggested. "It'll be, uh…"

"Less dangerous?" I helped.

"Not the word I was looking for," she smiled meekly.

I followed Sakaki to the counter, where she picked up something that looked like a drill with large metal things at the end.

"That a…" I struggled to find the right word. "…blender?"

"Eggbeater," Sakaki corrected politely, handing it over. "You want to give it a try?"

"I'm not sure if I should…"

"It's easy."

"Okay…if you say so…"

Unsure, I took the beater and fidgeted with it before I pressed the button she pointed out. Instantly, it went all wild, causing a mess.

"Gah!!"

I struggled with the mixer like it was a wild animal until Sakaki pulled the plug and the whirring subsided.

"Oh…" I lowered it and took view of the chaos I had caused. The cake was everywhere, and I felt myself beginning to tear up again.

"I-I'm sorry…"

I set down the beater and ran out of the kitchen. I didn't want to be in there anymore since the only thing I caused was trouble. I collapsed onto a couch and began sobbing.

Damn, why do I have to be so emotional?

Then I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Kagura."

I lifted my head to see Sakaki and sighed, pushing myself up to allow some room for her to sit.

"I'm so useless," I admitted. I knew I was wrong anyway, I just wanted to hear it.

"No," Sakaki shook her head then laid a hand on my cheek. "You're a good person."

I nodded. "I appreciate that…b-but…why do I have to get upset so easily?"

My voice choked with another sob.

"Because you're sensitive," Sakaki caressed my back. "I find that very sweet, actually."

I looked at her. She blushed and removed her hand. "Really?"

"Y-yes…" she replied embarrassedly. "Though, I really don't like it when you cry."

"Aw…" I had to smile. "I love you."

I couldn't help it – I kissed her softly on the cheek. Ever since that night, Sakaki had really warmed up to me and we grew intimate (we never went beyond the making out part, mind you).

"Ahem," we turned to Chiyo, who was peering out of the kitchen. "Don't worry Kagura, it's okay, and there's still enough batter left, so I'll be getting the cake ready."

As she left, I glanced back to Sakaki, giving her a mischievous grin. This would give us enough minutes to actually be 'alone'. Immediately, I fell against her, locking lips with her as she welcomed it all. I don't know how long we were on that couch, but we pulled apart when Chiyo called out to us and returned to the kitchen.

We were met with the delicate aroma of baked nuts and cake, so rich you could just savor its taste in the air.

"Man, it smells delicious!" I commented, taking a deep inhale.

"All that's left is the frosting," Chiyo opened up a can and stuck a plastic knife into it. "You can do it if you want, Kagura."

Well, now _that _I could definitely handle. "Sure, anything to help out!"

We frosted the cake together, me with the knife while Sakaki used a spoon and Chiyo prepared the drinks.

"Want a lick?" Sakaki raised the spoon to me after we had finished.

"Well…"

Swiftly, Sakaki cleaned off the spoon without giving me a chance to comply. The nerve of her…but she kissed me again. I could taste the chocolate on her.

"Wow…you're delicious…" I giggled, resuming the kiss.

"Ahem."

We broke away to see the girl staring at us.

"Sorry," I cleared my throat. "So…now that we have the cake done, what now?"

"We wait for Tomo and Osaka to come back with Yomi, I guess," Chiyo shrugged, placing the hazelnuts atop the cake.

As if on cue, the doors slammed open and Tomo appeared. I moved back from Sakaki quickly. That was a too close of a call.

She checked out the cake, marveling at the sight. "Hah, that looks great! Yomi's sure going to enjoy it! All right, listen – Osaka is outside holding her back, so I want you all to hide and scream 'Surprise!' when she comes through, got that?"

"You can count on it!" I grinned while Sakaki and Chiyo nodded.

"Great, we'll be in a moment," Tomo smiled as she went back outside.

Chiyo turned out the lights while we hid behind the walls in the kitchen. The door was soon opened and three figures came into the shadows.

"I don't see why I have to be blindfolded," Yomi muttered as Osaka came up behind her, holding her hands back. "Or be bound like this."

"You'll see!" Tomo giggled. "You can let go now."

"I don't trust this…" Yomi sighed. "Can I take this stupid thing off?"

"Not yet…" Tomo turned her to the kitchen. "Get ready…" she whispered to us.

The lights instantly flashed on, the blindfold was removed, and we sprung out. "Surprise! Happy Birthday Yomi!"

"One year closer to dying!" Osaka smiled. That sure ruined the mood.

"Wow…" Yomi gasped. "You did this for me?"

"You bet!" Tomo nodded.

"We even baked you a cake," Chiyo pointed to the counter, where it waited.

Yomi looked to be in complete bliss as she saw it. "You shouldn't have…Oh yes, you should have!"

She went over to it, restlessly moving before it. Should she dig in or not?

"Well, aren't you going to thank me for this?" Tomo asked.

What?

"Hey, we were part of it just as much you were!" I yelled. "We're the one that made the cake!"

"Yeah…but it was all my idea…" Tomo tilted her head.

Moron! Figures...She would expect us to do all the work – which we did – then take full credit!?

Without knowing it, I had dug my hand into the moist cake and flung it at Tomo's face. It made a pleasant _splat!_

I watched it slide down and fall to the floor in a plop. Tomo stared at me in disbelief.

"Oh…so that's how you want it?" she taunted.

Within seconds we took the cake apart and went into a flinging frenzy. Even Osaka joined in, but our focus was each other.

"My cake!" Yomi cried out, carrying a plate with measly pieces left over.

"Careful!" Chiyo screamed. "Watch the walls!"

Sakaki said nothing, doing her best to dodge while she protected Chiyo.

The dog gobbled up the leftovers happily. No doubt he would be sick later.

It was not to say we didn't have fun – we had the best night. I would always remember those moments.

Tomo missing and hitting Yomi instead which resulted in a rampage...

Me and Osaka smearing the cake onto Sakaki and Chiyo so they got the same as us...

Sharing some laughs and ice cream after we had cleaned up the mess...

Kissing Sakaki in the chill of autumn breeze...

Every time I am reminded of fall and hazelnuts, I always recollect that particular day.


	7. Of Hazelnuts and Cats: Mayaa

Together Always

Of Hazelnuts and Cats:

Mayaa

Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this second mini-chapter! Mayaa comes home! But...

--

It was one of the happiest days of her life. I could tell Sakaki was walking on cloud nine.

When I had asked what was making her glow like that, she responded with unexpected news.

"Yamamayaa's here."

Immediately, I exploded with questions.

No way! Here, from all that way? How? Where is he now? How is he doing?

"He is doing fine," she answered the last question then explained the story.

She had mentioned how she and Chiyo were walking home (that same day I had to stay after school, so I couldn't come along) when a pack of cats cornered them. I fumed as she said as the gray cat had rounded up the troop and were going to attack her and Chiyo.

I swear – one of those days, I am going to teach that cat a lesson he'll never forget.

To my relief, she continued how the Yamamayaa had come out of seemingly nowhere and scared off the troop, saving their lives if that was possible. Afterwards, though, he had collapsed, so they took him to the clinic where he recovered. He was now staying at Chiyo's place until Sakaki was able to keep him on her own. Sakaki had named him Mayaa.

When she finished, I saw she was smiling as her eyes glistened.

"I finally have my cat," she beamed.

When our friends heard the news after class, they were thrilled as well and were impatient to see him, so it was planned we would all go to Chiyo's place. Sakaki instanly rushed outside after the agreement – she never ceased to impress me by just how fast she coul move.

As we walked down the street to the mansion, Osaka was having trouble pronouncing Mayaa's full name and Chiyo was trying to help her out.

"It's not called a 'Pika Meow-meow'!" she corrected.

"Eh…" Osaka titled her head. "Pika…pika…?"

I turned back to Sakaki; I was very happy for her getting her own feline friend, especially since all other cats hated her and her mother was allergic. But I had my concerns, it was a wild cat after all…

"Is it going to difficult to care for?" I asked.

Sakaki swiftly took a book out of her bag and handed it over to me. "I've been reading up a lot on it."

Interestingly, I took it and flipped through some pages. Some words were pretty tough but I could make it out.

"'The ecosystem of Nishihyo Island…'" I read aloud.

"The characters here read 'Iriomote'," Tomo said, peering over my shoulder.

Damn it!

"I did on purpose! I just blurted it accidentally!" I yelled back, covering my mistake.

"Well…which one is it?" Tomo asked.

"Damn it!"

Tomo went over to Chiyo while I resumed reading the book.

"I wonder if Mr. Tadakichi will be all right?" Tomo chuckled. "He may just get eaten!"

"He'll be all right…" Chiyo giggled nervously. "He is pretty big after all…"

Without knowing, I read aloud. "'On occasion, the Iriomote cat will even hunt and eat wild boars…'"

A thump, Chiyo had dropped her bag and was looking at me as if she had seen a ghost.

"Hurry up, we have to get back, NOW!" she screamed, pointing. "Hurry, hurry!"

She ran off and on an impulse, Tomo and I were brought into motion, running ahead followed by Sakaki and Yomi. I can't resist a race when the chance arises.

"Wait!!" Chiyo cried after us from a distance.

We made it with Sakaki in the lead, as expected, and Chiyo arrived shortly followed by Osaka. We entered into the yard where Mayaa the kitten jumped into Sakaki's arms while the giant dog knocked over Chiyo.

"Are you all right?" I asked after she had recovered.

"Right as rain," she grimaced a smile.

We then entered inside, where I reached out to pet Mayaa, but shrank back when he swiped a paw at me. I'm sure he meant no harm, but remember, he was a wild cat and I couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy. Later on, though, I was able to settle a bit when he began walking around Chiyo's room, playing with Sakaki's long hair as she giggled. It was great to see her enjoying herself. Sakaki had always looked bit moody, but now she had someone to brighten her day. Namely me and Mayaa.

I chuckled at the thought and watched Sakaki put down Mayaa...which Tomo then picked up. I had a bad feeling about this already. My worries were proven true soon enough.

I saw as Mayaa jump away from her, hissing, and Tomo faced us.

"It hurts…" she showed her right hand which was gushing with blood.

"Ow! Owww! It hurts!" she wailed.

"Lots…of…blood…" Chiyo looked woozy.

"Whoa, somebody get her to a hospital!" The damage looked bad…but I hate to admit it, I couldn't help feeling little pleased that Tomo's idiocy had punished her for once.

"I told you, didn't I?" Yomi scolded, yet she sounded bit worried.

Then to my surprise, Sakaki smacked Mayaa on the head. "No! No scratching people!"

Whoa…I didn't expect that and had to smile. Sakaki was learning to be more firm. She was finally following my advice.

Tomo screamed again and I shouted at her to shut her up. "Well, you pushed him to far!"

She quieted down, but not completely, then moaned. "I hate that cat…"

Yomi volunteered to take Tomo to the bathroom to clean up and bandage her cut. After they left, I saw it was getting dark.

"Sakaki?" I turned to her. "You want to walk home?"

"Umm…" she hesitated. "Well…"

"Oh…" I saw the cat sitting on her lap and nodded. "Right, you deserve to spend some more time with him. After all, it has been a while."

"Thank you," Sakaki smiled.

"Hey, what about a night kiss?" I asked her with a grin, leaning forward.

Sakaki did nothing, too focused on Mayaa. Well, I guess she can't help it, it is her first cat that hasn't hated her after all.

We soon left Chiyo's mansion for home, waving off Sakaki and Chiyo. I earned no kiss, but that wasn't too bad.

But I never thought it could get worse…

The next day, after school, I was looking forward to going to the park again where we would have our usual chat and share some kisses. But instead of following me, she went with Chiyo instead.

"Sakaki?" I called after her.

She said nothing, not even looking back. She was intent on going with Chiyo to see Mayaa, no doubt. I'm sure she was still excited about having him around, but it hurt to have been ignored…not getting a good-bye kiss…I would have even settled for a wave.

That evening later on, as I passed by her place, there was no one waiting for me. She was still with Mayaa. Downhearted, I dragged on back home.

On one weekend, I went over to Chiyo's place to study. Part of me was expecting Sakaki, and sure, here she was, sitting at the table with her papers.

"Hello," she greeted me.

"Hey!" I replied, feeling bit better now that she had noticed me. I sat beside her, kissing her cheek lightly and we went to study. It was just us, which I found to be a good opportunity to catch up on the time we missed out together when she had been busy with the cat.

After we had finished our work, I wrapped my arms around her body and nuzzled for a kiss.

"Sakaki…" I said softly as she leaned down.

However, she stopped abruptly when there was a meow and we turned to see Mayaa sitting, calling for attention.

Scoot, I frowned. I want my time alone with Sakaki.

Sakaki thought differently, however, as she let me go and picked him up. She giggled as she lay down, holding him high in air.

"Sakaki…?" I crept forward. "…What about us?"

Obliviously, she sat up and waved her hands around for Mayaa to play with. I watched quietly, Sakaki fooling around with the kitten that had been taking all the attention away from 'us' for the past week.

Suddenly, I felt something in me which I never thought would happen to me. Burning envy. I glared at the spotted cat that was batting at Sakaki's smiling face playfully.

This is ridiculous! I sighed. Getting jealous over a cat who needed Sakaki's love. I had heard the sad news about his loss of his mother and had been glad he had Sakaki to watch over him, I knew she would do a good job. Yet, I still couldn't help feeling like this.

My dad warned that jealously destroyed relationships and I had to get that out.

But…my shoulders slumped down. I wanted Sakaki's love and attention, too…

That night, I had a very unsettling dream.

"_Where am I?" I saw I was at the familiar park where we went to all the time…or at least used to. The wind blew against my face pleasantly._

"_Sakaki?" I called out. Maybe she would be here, too, if I was here._

_I walked across the soft green grass, enjoying its tickling roots. I was dressed in my sleep clothes, a shirt and pants._

_Off in the distance, I saw a lone figure standing atop a small hill. Her long hair swayed like a flag in the breeze._

"_Sakaki!" I ran towards her._

"_Kagura," she turned to me, smiling._

"_Sakaki…" I still ran on, yet she never came closer. "I've missed you…"_

_She spread her arms towards me. "So have I…"_

_I reached towards her. "Sakaki…"_

_But it was not me whom she embraced. It was a spotted kitten who had jumped into her arms. I screeched to a stop._

"_S-Sakaki?"_

_She stroked the cat's head gently as it purred._

"_Don't you love me, too…?" I whispered._

_Everything seemed to dim around us, the color fading away, and we were surrounded by shadows._

"_Don't you?" I pleaded. _

_Sakaki said nothing, but the cat in her arms turned its head to me in a creaking motion. It sent chills down my spine._

"_She loves me, not you," it said in an emotionless voice._

_The cat could talk?_

"_B-but I love her!" I protested. "We're together!" _

"_Not for long…" _

_Sakaki turned away, drifting off into the darkness._

"_Sakaki! Sakaki!" I screamed._

_She soon disappeared, leaving me all alone in a circle of light._

"_No, Sakaki!" I fell to my knees, clutching my head. "Don't leave me all alone!"_

_No response, only the echo of my shouts._

"_Sakaki!!"_

A ringing sound. I snapped awake to the sound of my alarm clock. I groaned, sitting up.

It had not been an enjoyable dream, and I did my best to forget it, but couldn't – the images stayed in my mind. I shouldn't be getting worked up over this, I consoled myself. I'm just little bit lonely, that's all.

And so life resumed, but the dreams just kept coming…some were the same as the first…others were worse. The worst ones had an anthropomorphic female spotted cat who got all the affection and love from Sakaki while I sat off to the side, in darkness and unable to do anything except scream Sakaki's name. The cat lady laughed in my face, always laughing, it tore me apart.

Whenever I think about it today, perhaps if I hadn't been so upset by the original dream, I may have been able to think rationally and avoid a scene. But I didn't.

Sakaki hardly ever saw me after school despite our togetherness during school and whenever I came over to Chiyo's place to study, if it was just us. I would ask Sakaki to love me, but then Mayaa came calling and she would brush me off to play with him. Too upset, I would just sit there and sigh. The parks visits soon ceased altogether.

I think my friends, especially Chiyo, were picking up on my gloominess but said nothing.

They should have, I think, then we could have avoided what happened next. It had been ridiculous, looking back on for the reasons, but it nearly broke us apart.

It was another study night, just two of us and Chiyo…and Mayaa.

"Sakaki…" I made my way closer to her, wrapping an arm around her.

And as always, the cat called and Sakaki answered. She raised him high in air, adoring him as he was her baby. I would have found this to be precious and maybe even join in, but on account of all past sleepless nights, I was tired. I had enough. I wanted attention _now_.

I crawled over to her. "Sakaki..."

"Oh, Kagura," she looked at me, lowering the kitten. "You want to play with him?"

I would have accepted that graciously, but I was frustrated.

"No, Sakaki," I shook my head. "Look, put him down, I want a moment with you."

I kissed her but she resisted. "I can't, he needs me."

"Well, I need you too!" I shot back, I was upset. "I want your attention. I really want it."

She stared at me for a moment.

"I can't believe you would be so selfish…" Sakaki replied in an unexpected cold tone.

"What?" I was shocked. Selfish? If anything, I'm _far _from it.

"Mayaa is still a kitten, he needs all the love and care he can get," Sakaki said. "If you can't share that…t-then…m-maybe we don't need each other."

Those words smacked me in the face, they stung. Feeling tears well up in my eyes, I stood and took my jacket. "Well…if so you feel that way…then maybe I should be on my way…"

"Fine," Sakaki rolled over her side, her back to me.

"Fine."

I stomped out of the house, shut the door behind loudly, and I stood there on the doorstep in the darkening night. Soon, I lost it and ran off to where my feet would take me.

Meanwhile, Chiyo had been watching this spectacle with surprise. She had never thought we would snap at each other like that. But then again, she had seen how depressed I had been recently and felt she should have done something. I was long gone, but perhaps she could try talking to Sakaki.

She tentatively stepped over to her while she was still lying on the carpet.

"Sakaki?"

She heard her squeak, Sakaki was crying. "Why doesn't she like Mayaa?"

"Oh Sakaki," Chiyo hesitated, attempting to find the words that would calm her. "Don't say that, I'm sure she does."

"But…" Sakaki sat up, rubbing her eyes as she faced her. "She doesn't play with him or the like…she just sits there…"

Chiyo thought about my recent behavior those past few days. "I think it's maybe Kagura's been very sad."

"Sad?" Sakaki blinked. "About what?"

"I don't know," Chiyo shrugged. She couldn't read minds, of course. "But maybe you should talk to her?"

"Oh my…" Sakaki grabbed her head. "I didn't know, and I hurt her…I have to go."

She got up, pulling her coat on and Mayaa followed her.

"Wait Mayaa!" Chiyo called out but he already had dashed out of the door before it closed.

Sakaki saw him run out onto the front yard and sighed. "You can't come…it might not be good for you."

He just meowed then climbed a tree onto the high fence that surrounded Chiyo's home. Sakaki went through the gate and caught him as he landed on the other side.

"Well, if you're coming," she put him gently in an inner pocket of her coat. "At least you should keep warm, it's bit cold out."

_Now…where would she go?_ Sakaki looked around in the dark street. She had an idea and set off.

I am so stupid, stupid, stupid, I chastised myself. I had been thinking this over for some time and realized what mistake I had made. All because I was just bit lonely and the kitten was getting all the attention! That's no big deal to start a fit over. Maybe Sakaki was right…

"Great…Maybe she doesn't love me anymore…" I sighed, bowing my head.

Sakaki had just rounded a curve in the park and found me hunched up against a tree, the same spot where we had always sat and talked.

"Kagura!" she called out, I looked up to see her coming towards me. She soon stood before me.

"I'm sorry," we both said at the same time.

A pause. "Wait, what did you need to be sorry for?" I asked.

Sakaki sat down beside me, taking my hand. "For not noticing."

"Oh, Sakaki…"

"I didn't know you had been upset for a bit," she said. "I should have noticed sooner, then I wouldn't have called you selfish…I'm sorry…"

I sighed. "No, you're right."

"Hmm?"

"I have been bit selfish," I told her. "When you paid all the attention to Mayaa, I felt bit left out. I know it's bit stupid. But then…you stopped meeting with me, you hardly ever showed some affection to me, and I started having those bad dreams…It was all too upsetting for me…I was worried, so I tried to get you back…I'm sorry for being irritable…but I didn't want you to forget me…"

There was silence as I buried my face into my knees.

"That would never happen," Sakaki wrapped her arms around me.

"You mean that?"

"I do," she nodded. "…Why didn't you tell me about this?"

My cheeks burned. "Well…uh…you were so busy with Mayaa, I didn't think you would listen…"

She chuckled lightly. "I guess I have been…but you still should have…"

"Sorry."

"Don't worry, I apologize too…for ignoring you," she sighed. "I couldn't help it, I was just very happy to have Mayaa."

"It's all right, I understand," I nodded. "I would be, too."

Just then, the kitten peeked out from Sakaki's coat and mewed. We giggled and I stroked his head. "Hard to believe I'd be jealous of a little guy like you…"

We then gazed at each other and Sakaki leaned down for a deep kiss, which I welcomed. After we separated, I vowed, "Let's never do something stupid like this ever again."

"I agree," she nodded, and we kissed again.

I don't remember what came after, but it was clear that we never left the park.

Sakaki awoke with a start. It was morning, and she was sitting somewhere very different.

The park. Her mother was going to be furious. She had not been pleased when Sakaki hadn't come home once last time.

She relaxed, however, when she felt a presence nearby and looked down to see me sleeping peacefully with Mayaa in my arms, a light blanket of leaves covering us.

She smiled at the sight. _If only I had a camera…_

She lay back down, sliding an arm over her two most favorite people in her whole world.


	8. Amaya's Breaking Point

Together Always

Amaya's Breaking Point

Author's Note: Sakaki makes a promise to make it up to Kagura…but obstacles arise in her path…Will she be able to clear them?

In case you don't know, Amaya is Sakaki's mother's name

I also hope Sakaki doesn't act bit OOC but you know parents and teens

--

I was just stumbling out of sleep when I noticed there was movement. As the crisp morning air awakened my senses, I saw Sakaki was carrying me.

"Sakaki?"

"Oh," she murmured as she set me down. "Good morning."

It took me few moments to remember what had happened. "Oh…did we really…?"

"Yes," she smiled, nodding. "Have a nice sleep?"

"The best," I smiled. No bad dreams had disturbed me; I felt much better now.

"Oh…" My cheeks warmed as I saw we weren't in the park anymore. "You…carried me?"

"I didn't want to wake you," she sighed, stroking my hair.

"Aw…that's very kind of you," I kissed her chin and we walked on.

She brought me to my house and stood with me in front of the door.

"Kagura," she held my hands as she looked at me, "I promise to make it up to you for all the times I've ignored you."

"Oh, you don't really have to…" I was modest, but she wouldn't have it.

"No, I really will," she said firmly. "I'm going to have a day with you, just two of us."

"When?" I couldn't help but ask. I was thrilled.

"Very soon."

"And you will meet my dad?" I gasped. It was about time she was introduced to him in person.

"Yes," she replied, "I will. I will make it a date you won't forget."

"A date…?" I breathed. This would be different from our usual park visits.

"Yes, a date," Sakaki then pulled me into a deep kiss.

"I have to go home, I will see you later," she said after we separated, then set off.

"Wait Sakaki!" She hadn't given me a specific time to expect her, but she was gone before I could ask. Oh well, who knows? Maybe she'll surprise me.

Then I remembered my dad and was bit concerned about him. He must be pretty worried on account of my not coming home last night. Shyly, I opened the door and went inside.

"Dad…?" I called out to him in the kitchen.

He looked up from his newspaper and grinned. "Good morning, you're up late."

You had to love him; he could be so casual sometimes.

"Ah, Dad…" I hugged him around his neck. "I have great news…"

"This should be nice to hear compared to today's articles," he rolled up his paper and set it down.

"Sakaki's going to take me out!" I replied.

"Ooh, when? I'd be very pleased to meet her," he smiled, putting his hands together.

"I don't know when exactly," I admitted, then added warningly, "but when she does show, I want you to be on your best behavior, okay?"

I didn't want him to be causing any sort of embarrassment for us.

"You can count on it," he assured, but I was still wary. "So, what do you plan to do now?"

"Um…I guess I just wait or something," I shrugged.

"Wrong," he corrected, then checked his watch. "You fix me some coffee now, please."

Meanwhile, Sakaki had dropped off Mayaa at Chiyo's home and continued her way home. As much as I was excited, she was just as nervous. Her mother – she was worried about her reaction. She was not looking forward to a lecture in the early morning…or even worse.

Yet, to her surprise, there was no car in the driveway as she expected.

_Maybe she's gone already for work…_Sakaki thought hopefully. However, her relief was short-lived.

The moment she stepped in, the doors closed behind her and she turned to face her mother.

"Mother…" she stepped back from her nervously.

She could sense her mother was very furious – even though her face did not betray its anger, it was her aura where her fury truly shone. Sakaki could feel the burning heat radiating from her as if she was on fire.

"Taira Sakaki," she fumed, her naturally cool voice restrained, "this has gone on long enough."

Despite her intimidating fury, Sakaki was not put off by it and turned away, heading for the stairs. "I don't have time for this."

"Get back here!" her mother called out in a raised voice.

She ignored her and was halfway up when her mother made a threat.

"If you go any higher, I will make sure everything in your room is disposed of," she warned. "You will never see your animal toys ever again."

Sakaki froze; her mother had hit her sensitive point.

Satisfied, her mother smiled smugly as her glasses glinted with light. She then brought her arm down, pointing to the floor. "Good. Now march your feet back over here."

Sakaki stepped back down, keeping her head lowered.

"Look at me," her mother ordered.

Sakaki raised her head with a deep sigh.

"That's better," her mother crossed her arms, her fury lessening as she started to circle Sakaki. "Now, I would like you to listen…Every day, you keep coming home later than ever, some days you don't even come home at all."

"It was only one time, Mother!" Sakaki protested.

"Don't interrupt me!" she snapped. "Now…this sort of behavior cannot continue. Look how it's affecting you…You distance yourself more often then ever, and you never listen to what I have to say…"

It was then Sakaki noticed a couple of suitcases near the doorway. "Hmm?"

"Life is not all games…which is why I must teach you a lesson," her mother frowned. "Starting today, when I go out-of-town on my business trip," she continued. "You are tp stay inside the house at all times…"

Sakaki felt like being bold and wanted to say 'No, thank you,' but she was wise not to push it, considering her mother's current mood.

She glared at Sakaki, making her shiver. "I can tell what you're thinking…Well, you are mistaken."

She then picked her bags up and walked over to the doors. "The moment I step out, there will be no escape, I have secured every lock in the house…"

Sakaki could not believe this. "No…you can't…"

"I can and I will," her mother said. "You will be alone for few days until I return, there is plenty of food for your meals. I trust you can take care of yourself."

Her mother couldn't do this, she couldn't. Sakaki would not be able to keep her promise…

"But what if there's an emergency?" she asked, hoping to talk her out of this craziness. "What if I break my neck or choke…?"

"You won't, you're much too smart for that, daughter," her mother said coolly. "I will now be on my way…"

Sakaki was upset.

"You're insane," she said before she could stop herself.

"I am not insane!" her mother nearly screamed. "I'm only doing what's best for you!"

"Well, it's crazy!" Sakaki shot back.

"Look – " her mother began, then she went into a coughing fit. Her allergies must have kicked in due to Mayaa's fur on Sakaki's coat.

Sakaki took this chance to run upstairs. "I hate you!"

After her coughing had subsided, her mother gasped softly. "Taira…"

Sakaki shut her door with a loud slam and threw herself onto her bed, burying her face into the pillows. She stayed still and quiet as she listened to the faint click of the doors closing, the creak of the garage door, and finally, the hum of the car as it drove off.

All was silent in the house; she was alone. For the majority of her day, Sakaki only got up from her bed for the necessities and moped around the house when she did. She was even more discouraged when she found out the exits including the back and the one into the garage were really secured and slunk off back to her room.

Towards evening, Sakaki sat up on her bed and made a decision. _All this moping isn't doing me any good. I have to do something._

It was clear to her that she was bound to go nuts, being all cooped up like this, and went searching around the house again.

Just as the same, the doors remained firmly closed. Sakaki sighed in despair as the doorknob just rattled, and she let go. The windows were closed as well.

Sakaki sat down on the bottom of the stairs and clutched her head in frustration.

She was locked in with no way of contacting her friends, especially Kagura. Sakaki would be trapped for few days. As already fragile as Kagura was now, she would soon lose heart again due to her inability of meeting with her, and their relationship would soon take a severe downward spiral. Sakaki could not bear that happening; she truly wished to be with Kagura, the only person that she ever shared deep feelings with. Sakaki squeaked a sob as she turned to the steps, laying her head and arms on them. _I'm sorry Kagura…_

Wait…a thought struck her. The windows were closed, yes, but what about the _upper_ ones? She looked up. Could it be possible? She had to know.

Sakaki quickly scrambled up the stairs on all fours into her bedroom, where she checked her window closely. She gave it a try; it moved up easily to just a crack. Sakaki pushed it even higher; it slid smoothly on her command. Sakaki could barely contain her delight of discovering there was a way out after all. Her mother never considered that she actually would be willing to do a stunt like this. The times with Kagura were definitely having their effect on her. A few months ago, she probably wouldn't even have dared to think it.

But…would she be able to do it?

She savored the sweet freshness of the night air and looked down, carefully keeping an eye out for anything that would help her getaway be a success. She found it – a part of the roof just within reach that she could hang from the window and sidle over to. Yet…she looked uneasily at the long drop below that had no bushes to break her fall. Maybe there are other windows. She looked and found the small window in the bathroom was right on top of the roof, but it was too narrow for her to fit through. Another window led to above the garage roof, but that was straight through her mother's office and she had no business being in there. The other windows led to a steep drop, with no aides to help her down.

Sakaki returned to her bedroom and looked outside again, deep in thought. She calculated she could make it but had to be careful about her balance and timing. She was going to do it. So she grabbed her wallet, stuffing it into her pocket and pulled on a jacket before going to the window. She surveyed the area; she and her mother did not have any close neighbors, so she doubted anyone would raise alarm about her escape. But that would also mean there would be no one to call for help if she took a misstep…Sakaki shook that thought out. _No, I will do this._

She sat onto the frame, swinging both of her legs up, and carefully pulled the window halfway down so it wouldn't seem suspicious if someone walked by the area. She glanced back and gripped the side of the house, turning her body towards it slowly. As soon as Sakaki was sure she had a firm grip, she brought down one of her legs to reach the lower roof. While she didn't like it herself, being tall had its advantages. Her foot made contact, so she pushed her weight onto it and crept around the side, keeping her other grip on the window frame. Very carefully, and with no rush, Sakaki brought her other leg down and soon it was on the roof as well. She then skillfully made the rest of her way over, finally settling onto a firm footing. Sakaki sat down with a deep sigh, resting her shoulder against the side. Her heart had been beating fast and hard during the ordeal. Many questions had also flown through her head, but none of them had answers and concerned her risk of falling which just made her more nervous and wary. But now she had an answer to settle it all; she had made it, and she was going to keep her promise. After she had caught her breath, she swung down from the lower roof and landed onto the ground. The impact caused her knees to buckle, but at least she was well and nothing was broken.

Sakaki looked up and decided she would worry about how she would get back inside later.

She stood up, brushing off her jeans and looked around. _Which way do I go?_

Naturally, she wanted to go to my place, but it was late, and I definitely would ask her for an explanation. She didn't want to face all that. She did not wish to upset me any more. She then turned around and headed in the direction of Chiyo's home.

Standing before the large gate, she was contemplating whether to ring in or not. She wanted to see Chiyo but did not want to disturb her parents. Honestly, she was bit scared of them.

_Damn it, I should've called ahead…_

Sakaki need not have worried, for only Chiyo was home at that time, but she didn't know that yet.

Sakaki sighed deeply, lowering her hand and looked up at the fence. She saw the gray cat sitting up there as he stared down at her, his teeth gleaming. Sakaki shivered, pulling her jacket tighter.

Then she had a thought and checked the smaller door set within the gate, and sure enough, it was unlocked. _How careless, I should remind her to be more careful._

Still, she was grateful being able to get in without attracting much attention and walked below the high window of Chiyo's bedroom. She saw it was opened by just a crack, so she cupped her mouth and called out the prodigy's name.

"Chiyo!!"

Inside, Chiyo was just getting ready for bed when she heard the call and looked out to see Sakaki waiting for her. Mayaa followed close and meowed with recognition.

"Sakaki?" Chiyo wondered. Why she was here at this time of the night?

Sakaki just waved, signaling for her to come down, so she did.

With Mayaa and the dog at her heels, Chiyo ran down the stairs and opened up the door for Sakaki.

"What is it?" she asked curiously. "Did you forget something?"

Sakaki shook her head. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," Chiyo nodded, letting her in. "Um…would you like some drinks?"

"I would love to," Sakaki smiled softly.

As they shared some iced tea, Chiyo inquired Sakaki once again. "Why did you come this late?"

"Um…" Sakaki circled the rim of her glass with her finger. "Well…my mother is out of town, and I need a place to stay…"

It was a half-truth; Sakaki did not want to reveal that her mother actually had locked her in like some damsel in distress. There were many things Sakaki never wanted to reveal about her personal life.

"Oh, I see!" Chiyo accepted the answer. "But, why didn't you call earlier? Or…bring some of your things over?"

"Um…" Sakaki blushed. "I did not want to disturb anyone…and I can still go in my house…I just don't want to sleep alone tonight."

"Ah…" the child tilted her head. "It's fine with me. You can wait upstairs while I get the bag."

"Thank you very much," Sakaki bowed and went up.

Chiyo pulled out a rolled up sleeping bag from the closet and tugged it upstairs with some difficulty. She made it to her room, puffing, and entered inside.

"Here's your –" she began, only to be cut short as she saw who was on her bed.

There was Sakaki spread across it, sleeping very contently with Mayaa curled up at her neck. Chiyo giggled quietly. _I guess the bag's for me, then._

She put it down, tucked herself into it, then turned out the lamp. She watched the dozing face of her tall friend for a moment.

"I wonder what made her so tired like that?" Chiyo pondered.

She soon drifted off into slumber.


	9. Sakaki's Promise

Together Always

Sakaki's Promise

Author's Note: Well, Sakaki has overcome her obstacles and is ready to keep her word as she and Kagura prepare for a evening, just them together.

I warn you now though, the suggestive theme/content is bit stronger here though I assure it's not too far beyond the PG-13 range. I still warn you as I am aware there are people whom may not like this sort of thing.

--

"Good morning, Sakaki."

Sakaki blinked awake and saw Chiyo standing before her. "Oh, good morning, Chiyo."

Then she noticed what she was lying on and blushed guiltily. "Oh, sorry Chiyo, I didn't mean to sleep on your bed."

"It's okay," the child waved her hand dismissively. "You must have had a tiring night. Did you have a good rest?"

"Yes…" Sakaki yawned and covered her mouth, blushing more.

"Well, I'm going to make breakfast," Chiyo said, walking to her doors.

"Okay," Sakaki stretched out her body then sat up. "Can I use your bathroom?"

"Sure, it's down the corridor," Chiyo pointed the way.

While Chiyo prepared the eggs and bacon downstairs, Sakaki took Mayaa with her and washed up in the shower room. While Mayaa did meow protests, he allowed his surrogate mom to splash him with water. As she dried him, Sakaki thought about how she would spend her day with me today. It was a nice day, weather-wise. She could take me someplace, and so on. Firstly, she had to make herself look nice; she really wanted to make this day special, so she stripped down and took her turn with the shower.

Chiyo returned to her bedroom, carrying up a plate for Sakaki and set it down just as she came inside, wrapped up in only a towel.

"Ah, Sakaki," Chiyo greeted her. "I brought you your share."

"Thank you," Sakaki nodded as she rubbed another towel on her wet hair and sat back down on the bed. "Chiyo?"

"Yes?" the girl nodded.

"Today, I am going to take Kagura out for a day together, just two of us," Sakaki put down her towel. "So, I want to look really nice for her, but I'll need help."

She tugged at a strand of her hair. It would take forever to perfect to its silkiness without an aide. She truly wanted to look her best.

"Please?" Sakaki asked, facing her.

"Of course!" Chiyo smiled. She would be glad to help out if it meant keeping her friends happy.

For almost an hour, Chiyo brushed Sakaki's long hair while she blow-dried it. Every now and then, Sakaki would say where to brush as she waved around the blow dryer, and Chiyo would follow the command. The final result was a gleaming spread that Chiyo could just wrap herself in. Sakaki admired it in the table mirror.

"Hug it. What does it feel like?" Sakaki asked with a small smile.

Chiyo did and she exclaimed with delight. "Wow! It's so soft, it's just like silk."

Sakaki giggled quietly then looked at the mirror, running a hand through her crooked bangs. "Hmm…"

She looked at her current outfit – which she wore when she had run away. No, she thought, that would simply not do. She needed to wear something else.

"Chiyo?" she looked to her friend. "I don't mean to be a bother, but is there anything nice I can wear?"

"Oh, let's see…" Chiyo tapped her chin in thought. "Oh! You could borrow some of my mom's."

Sakaki stiffened at the idea. "Oh no…I couldn't…"

"It's okay," Chiyo smiled. "She won't mind, come on, I'll show you."

Sakaki had no choice, so she redressed in her underclothes and wrapped her towel back on before following Chiyo out. Her parents had left before Sakaki awoke, so there was no fear of an awkward encounter with them, but she was still a bit nervous about being in their room.

It was an orderly looking room, much bigger than Chiyo's, with a walk-in closet and bathroom included. Chiyo slid the doors open to reveal an organized wardrobe of many blouses, pants, and dresses with heels in a row at the bottom.

"Which one would you like?" Chiyo asked as she separated a couple of coats.

"Uh…something simple…" Sakaki replied. She would hate to ruin anything elegant or expensive by accident.

"There, you can try this on," Chiyo held out a white blouse to her. "What about pants?"

"Simple will do," Sakaki took the top.

Soon, she pulled on new denim jeans and buttoned up her shirt as Chiyo helped keep her hair out of the way.

"How do I look?" Sakaki asked, straightening out her blouse as she checked herself in the large mirror of the closet.

"You look great!" Chiyo complimented.

"Thank you," Sakaki smiled, rolling up her sleeves. She really did look great; she couldn't wait to see my reaction. "Oh, I hope she'll like it…"

Sakaki retrieved her wallet and jacket then went downstairs to the main hall, followed by Chiyo.

"Thank you for all the help you've given," Sakaki bowed.

"Oh, it was no problem," Chiyo said humbly. "I hope you have a good time with Kagura."

"I will," Sakaki nodded then she opened the door. "I'm going now, bye."

"Bye Sakaki," Chiyo waved her off.

"Bye." she added finally before she left the yard.

It was a nice early afternoon – not too chilly – and Sakaki decided to take the shortcut through the park. Along the way, she watched the sights before her: leaves of warm shades falling gently, a couple walking their dogs together, and a boy giving a bouquet of flowers to a girl…

Sakaki stopped. Giving flowers?

She watched as the girl took the flowers, exclaim a cry of joy, and hugged the boy. Afterwards, they held hands and walked off.

"Hmm…" Sakaki followed them curiously. _Flowers…so it is a date thing…would Kagura like them?_

"Ah, flowers!" Sakaki said aloud which caused the couple to stare back at her.

She blushed embarrassedly and left them, leaving the girl to giggle. "Sorry."

Sakaki found a flower stand nearby and hurried over to it. She looked over the baskets, pondering which ones would suit me, but there were so many kinds and colors!

She finally picked up a bunch of white carnations and gave the clerk three one-hundred yen coins. She was about to walk off when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to have the clerk take back most of the flowers, leaving her with a measly three.

"Oh…" Sakaki sighed.

Eventually, she made it to my house and hesitantly rung the bell. She was actually nervous; she twisted the flowers' stems in her hands restlessly while she waited. It would be our first ever formal date, and she now felt like every single pre-date pressure was attacking her mind at once.

Sakaki inhaled deeply and exhaled to calm herself, raising a hand to her forehead. _I can do this._

Suddenly, the door opened and my dad was there.

"Oh Mr. Kagura!" Sakaki greeted politely, bowing.

He seemed bit confused for a moment then lit up as he recognized her.

"Ah, you're Sakaki, aren't you?" he grinned. "Just call me Akio, there's no need for formalities."

"Mister…?" Sakaki corrected herself, smiling warmly. "…Akio."

She then held out the flowers to him. "Um…I came to…uh…"

"Whoa," Akio held up his hands. "I think I'm bit too old for you, plus I don't think Kagura would appreciate it."

"Ah…" Sakaki was at loss for words, stuttering with a reddening face. She did not know much yet of my dad's way of humor. "No…I-I-I…"

"Ah, I'm just playing with you," he grinned, patting her on the back. "Come in, I'll let her know you're here."

"Oh…" Sakaki walked inside as he shut the door.

"Oy, Kagura! Somebody's here for you!" he called out to the stairs then faced Sakaki, checking over her flowers and dress. "Don't you think it's bit early?"

"Um…" Sakaki lowered her head.

"Ah, it's all right, I know how first dates are," he put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I remember mine with Sachi – that's Kagura's mom – I once arrived a night early! You can imagine how that went."

Just then, I slumped downstairs, still groggy from my rest as I always tended to sleep in on weekends.

"What is it Dad?" I called out, rubbing my eyes as I came halfway down. I froze when I saw there was another person there. And the 'another person' happened to be Sakaki, looking her very best, smiling at me.

And here was I, in only an oversized t-shirt and my hair a tangled mess…

"Ah!!" was my typical embarrassed reaction as I ran back upstairs.

"Kagura?" Sakaki raised her head, blinking.

"Don't worry about it," Akio showed her into the living room. "She'll come back, now while we wait, I'd like to show you something…"

Quickly, I changed into a new shirt and jeans and pulled on a light jacket. I checked myself in the bathroom mirror, smoothing out my hair. It was still messy but decent enough, I decided. After that, I brushed my teeth (no way I was going to kiss Sakaki with morning breath) and went back downstairs.

"Sakaki? I'm ready," I looked around the hall and turned to the other room.

To my horror, my dad was showing Sakaki a series of photo books – namely _my _baby books.

"And here's one of her just out of the tub, you can see the –" my dad said as he pointed at a page while she watched amusedly.

"Dad!!" I screamed.

"Oh, hello Kagura," he grinned my way as Sakaki giggled lightly. "I was just showing her some pictures when you were just a wee toddler! She thinks they're cute."

My face burning, I grabbed the books from them and glared at him. "I told you to be on your best behavior!"

"But I am," he raised his hands. "What, can't a dad get along with his daughter's girlfriend?"

"Not by showing his daughter's baby pictures to her girlfriend!" I retorted, holding out one for example.

"Aw, come on…" he mocked. "She enjoyed them…isn't that true?"

Sakaki nodded, still trying her best to keep in her fits of laughter.

"Oh," she then stood and showed me a trio of bent flowers with petals dripping off. "Um…I got this for you…"

Graciously, I accepted them. "That's very thoughtful of you."

On reflex, I kissed her, wrapping my arms around her neck.

"Ahem, parent in room," my dad cleared his throat and we pulled away, feeling a bit awkward.

"So where are we going?" I asked expectantly.

"Uh…" Sakaki paused. Apparently, she had no clue yet. "I don't know…" she blushed apologetically.

"It's okay," I shrugged. That just meant we could do anything that came to mind, so it was bound to be fun.

"Well, we're off now," I told my dad, and he followed us to the door.

"Now remember," he raised a finger, wagging it. "Make sure you get my daughter back home on time and don't go feeling her up, or I'll come after you."

Sakaki quickly turned a shade of magenta.

"Dad!" I scolded him.

"Have fun girls!" he grinned, waving us off.

--

"So, what do you want to do?" I asked as we walked down the sidewalk, swinging our held hands.

"Um…well…" Sakaki mumbled uncertainly. "I didn't really think this out…"

"It's okay," I reassured her. "Just spending time with you is enough."

Sakaki smiled at this. "But, I still want to do something for you…with you…"

"Well then," I kissed her briefly on her cheek. "We'll just have to see how that works out."

She took me into the shopping district where she was convinced we would find plenty of things to do, and she was right.

"Mmm…something smells really good…" I commented after I caught a whiff of a delicious aroma of sugar and dough. "Now that I think about it…I could use a snack…"

Since my waking in the noon, I hadn't really gotten a thing to eat and my stomach was growling a complaint.

"I'll buy you one," Sakaki led me towards the direction where that sweet smell wafted from.

"What are those?" I asked curiously. It had to be part of some sort of an international food chain because some of its snacks were nothing like what I had seen before.

"Those are _churros_," the clerk pointed to those tasty brown sugary sticks. "Popular, very tasty."

"Sounds good," Sakaki bought one and bit on one of its ends, showing the other to me. I immediately picked up what she meant and looked at the crowd with uncertainty.

"You want to do it in public?" I asked. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. Hesitantly, I bit into the snack. It was certainly warm and delicious...and like that one scene in a movie I saw, we kept biting till our lips met. Sakaki pulled me close for another one of our deepest kisses. She was certainly getting bolder in our relationship, what with all those people passing us. She no longer wanted to hide that we definitely had something going on together. This pleased me as it would mean we'd finally be telling the rest of our friends soon.

"My god, Sakaki…" I breathed as we broke apart.

Suddenly, she grabbed my hand and tugged me along through the crowds.

"Whoa, where are we going?" I gasped.

"Anywhere," was her simple response.

Our next stop was an arcade where she stepped up to a crane machine filled with stuffed animals. I tried to tell her it wasn't really necessary, but she wouldn't have it and dropped in a coin. Oh well, if she wants to waste her money…

However, to my surprise, she skillfully snatched a panda plush and handed it over to me.

"For you," she smiled. She had gotten good practice, apparently. I gave my bear a soft squeeze.

"Thank you…"

Again, she kissed me and pulled me to somewhere new.

This time it was a movie theater. We came just in time to catch the first few minutes of Sakaki's choice – a film about cats obviously. While I would have typically been bored to death and her to tears, we barely even gave it an ounce of attention. I think Sakaki was looking for another excuse to make out with me in the dark, which was exactly what we did. After it ended, she asked me if I had enjoyed it and I just burst out laughing.

"Of course," I grinned.

We continued on, this time side-by-side, when I spotted a quick photo booth.

"Check it out," I pointed it to her and we went over to it.

I read its label aloud: "'Make your memories last, take a picture', well what do you think?"

Sakaki just smiled and took me inside, placing another coin in the slot. The deal was to make all sorts of poses and faces, we had a great time. Then Sakaki tickled me, prompting a kiss from me. Only did we come out when somebody knocked on the booth and we faced a guy with his girlfriend whom looked at us bewilderedly. We shared a chuckle and left, taking our pictures along.

"Would you just look at that?" I showed them to her as we walked. "We look silly."

"But you look good," Sakaki slid an arm around my waist, nuzzling my hair.

This gave me a warm tingle. "T-thanks…"

I noticed it was beginning to darken and thought it might be a good time for dinner.

"Can we get a meal somewhere?" I asked her.

"Oh…let me check…" Sakaki pulled out her wallet and snapped it open. She frowned. "Um…I don't have very much left…I'm sorry…"

"It's all right, we'll find a way to work with it," I suggested.

"Okay," she nodded then looked up at the sky.

Immediately she grabbed my hand. "We should go to the park."

So we went. Upon reaching it, we settled into our usual spot and shared a filled pastry that Sakaki had bought on the way.

After finishing it off, I cuddled close to Sakaki. "Hey…"

She said nothing, only staring upwards and I followed her gaze to the stars above us.

"It is a nice night…" I murmured, fiddling with Sakaki's bangs.

"Mmm," she nodded then raised her hand, pointing. "Do you see that?"

It took me a bit to figure which star she was pointing to but I found it: a bright speck among the thousands. "What about it?"

Sakaki sighed, lowering her hand. "It's the first star I always see as every evening comes, before all the rest follow it.

"It sits up there, all alone with no close companions," she continued. "Every time I saw it, it would remind me of myself, which depressed me…but not anymore…"

She then turned to me. "Because I have you, I'm not lonely."

"Oh, Sakaki…"

Her smile was so tender, she leaned over to kiss me. I embraced her, returning my love. But I pulled back when I felt her hand slide down my back, to my hips. This was the first time she had moved her hand there; it unsettled me for some reason.

"Um…" I sat up, hoping she hadn't minded the abrupt break or noticed my tensing up. "C…can we go home?"

"Okay," Sakaki nodded.

She brought me home, kissing me good night.

"Thanks for the day today," I hugged her. "I had a great time. I won't ever forget it."

"Me, too."

Before I could go in though, she clutched my shoulder.

"Um…would it be okay if I slept over?" she asked. "…my mother said it was fine with her."

"Oh…" I was still bit uneasy about that slight incident back at the park, but she had such a pleading look, I had to give in. "All right, come in."

"Thank you," she smiled and entered inside with me.

"Dad, I'm home!" I called out, taking off my jacket. No reply. That was strange.

"Look," Sakaki handed a note to me which I read. "Groceries? This late?"

Figures, he probably planned this so we would get some more alone time, but I wasn't sure if that really was a good thing.

"Does that mean we're alone?"

"Um…yeah, I guess…" I scratched my head.

Sakaki smiled, then kissed me. Suddenly, I didn't feel so nervous now. There was nothing to worry about, and I was sure I could trust her.

"May we go upstairs?" Sakaki looked up.

"Sure," then I darted up with a head start. "Race ya!"

As I made it to my bedroom door, Sakaki came up behind, running into me as we laughed.

"Okay, I got to warn you though," I opened up my door. "It's kind of messy."

'Kind of' was an understatement; there were clothes strewn all over the floor, my bookshelf was an organized mess, and my homework was scattered across the desk. I hurried to pick them up as Sakaki looked around.

"Uh, take a seat," I mumbled as I threw my clothes into a pile.

She noted the small bed in the corner and sat on it, setting my plush as one of the pillows.

When I made sure my room was cleaned up enough, I joined her side. "Sorry, if it's bit cramped."

"It's kind of cozy," Sakaki admitted, scooting over to give me some room.

We were quiet for a moment, I was unsure if we should just go to sleep now or not. It was a bit awkward having her here.

"Well…" I fiddled with my hands, "what should we do?"

Sakaki ruffled her fingers through my hair, kissing my cheek. "We kiss, what else?"

I giggled as she continued pecking me. "Course, that should have been obvious."

She then pulled me on top of her, pressing our lips together. I ran my hands across her head, playing with her soft hair while I felt hers trail along my back, sending down shivers in me. Then she grabbed my jeans back pocket.

"Uh," I separated, taken in surprise by this move.

"Something wrong?" Sakaki asked, rotating her hand. God, please don't do that, I thought – nearly groaning aloud.

"Sakaki…" I gasped, pushing her arm away. "C-could you please not do that?"

"Why not?" Sakaki stroked my legs. "It's nice…"

My faced warmed at this comment. "Well…I-it…"

"Don't you like it?" she squeezed gently, creating another wave of blush in me.

Well…it did feel good…

"Ah…maybe…" I kissed her again. "You're really getting bit more frisky now, aren't you?"

Sakaki just giggled. "It's because of you…"

I smiled then looked across the room. "I should turn out the light."

I left the bed to flick the switch down, leaving the room completely dark, save for the bedside lamp that was still glowing. I saw Sakaki in the faint light – she looked so serene lying there on her side, smiling. I rolled back into the bed with her, squeezing in what room we had left on the bed...and we resumed kissing.

"God…" Sakaki sighed deeply. "I want you so close…"

Before I could say a word, she took my hands and brought them down to her thighs, my fingers tingled at the touch. "S-Sakaki?"

Sakaki said nothing, unbuttoning her shirt. I swear, my face had to be red enough to light up the room when I saw what she was doing. I tried to be courteous by looking away and letting go but found it hard to do either...I could only stare.

As she pulled a flap aside, I shut my eyes and exhaled sharply. "Sakaki…"

"Don't be embarrassed," she reassured, taking one of my hands. "I'm your girlfriend."

"No…" I still kept my eyes closed, shaking me head then gasped as she put my hand on her chest.

"No, I can't do this," I withdrew my hands as if they had been burned. I sat up quickly, grabbing my head. "I can't…"

"Kagura?" Sakaki wrapped an arm around my torso as she looked over me.

"I'm sorry…" I sighed. "But I don't think I'm ready for this…"

It was true; while I did fantasize about it, it still made me extremely nervous to think what it would be like if we came about doing it. I still felt like I didn't have the right to revel in the mystiques of Sakaki's body. And we were still young…

"I'm sorry," I repeated.

"Oh…I see…" Sakaki nodded slowly, relaxing her hug. "…I won't rush you…I'll be ready when you are…"

"Thank you…" I sighed then caught on what she had just said. "…What?"

I allowed a chuckle to escape as she blushed pinkly. "You pervert…"

She then smiled, kissing me and allowed room for me to lie down.

"Can I still hold you close?" she whispered.

"Of course."

We shared a final kiss as we embraced each other. I snuggled closer to her, and we soon drifted off into sleep.

--

Sakaki was the first to wake. She yawned then looked at me, as I was still asleep. She smiled and kissed my cheek, making me stir. "Good morning."

I blinked, trying to shake off the grogginess and saw her. Half-asleep, I was bit confused, but then I remembered what had happened the day before. I returned her affection. "Good morning."

After having breakfast, I followed her outside. "Sakaki, thank you again for the time you've given me."

"No problem," she nodded. "Kagura, I will never leave you."

"I believe you," was my honest answer. "I love you, Sakaki."

We parted with our usual kiss, and I watched her disappear down the street.

I always will.

--

Sakaki reached her home in no time at all and looked up at the ajar window. Her mother was not home yet, which felt to be pleasant news for her, but…she needed to get back in…

She looked around the yard for something that might help her up but found nothing. Time was running out; she looked up anxiously. If she was going to make it inside, she would have to go by her strength and speed alone. She jumped on the lower window's ledge and quickly swung herself up onto the roof. Sakaki rested for a moment, catching her breath before she attempted another climb. This one would be much trickier as it was bit higher up, but if she moved fast enough…

She reached out, gripping the edge of the window and looked down nervously. She braced herself...and ran, digging her shoes into the side of the house. She slipped in, rolling onto the carpet as she gasped for air.

_Next time, use a rope, _she reminded herself. Yet, she doubted she would be doing anymore of those escapes…one had been hard enough…

She idly walked around the house for the day until she heard the sound of engine coming up the driveway. She looked outside to see her mother was back home and ran back downstairs. She felt slightly guilty about what she had yelled to her that day.

"Mother?" Sakaki called out quietly as her mother came in, setting down her bags.

"Yes daughter?" she turned to her. She did not suspect a thing.

"Um…" Sakaki bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" her mother crossed her arms. She was intrigued.

"…For yelling at you…" Sakaki blushed. "I…didn't mean it…the h-hating thing, I mean…and…"

Her mother exhaled, rubbing her forehead. She was disgruntled.

"I admit I went a bit overboard…" she shook her head. "But you were frustrating me with your…outings…"

"Sorry," Sakaki gulped. "…I still can't go out anymore, can I?"

"Hmm…"her mother considered. "Well…I can't really do anything to change what you wish to do…Fine, you may do as you please…"

Sakaki stood there stunned, unable to believe what her mother had just said. She was…free?

"R-really?" she stuttered.

But then her mother glared at her, completely killing her gleeful mood.

"_On one condition._"


	10. Holiday Saga: First Snow

Together Always

Together Always

The First Snow

Author's Note: And thus begins the Holiday Saga! From playing in the snow to Christmas parties to the beginning of a new year, it's all there!

Bit a quickie maybe, but I'm just getting warmed up-I hope you enjoy!

Winter was soon upon us – gray-white clouds blanketed the sky and the air grew colder. I huddled close to Sakaki for warmth, holding her gloved hand. We were walking, in our park as usual, among the bleak scenery. The grass had turned a dull yellow and the trees became bare skeletons, having tossed all their leaves away.

I rubbed my cheek, my face was freezing. I then looked up to Sakaki and had an idea.

"Hey Sakaki…" I smirked. "I could use some warming up…"

She glanced at me and smiled. She leaned towards me, and I stretched my neck, expecting…

_Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!!_

I sighed, slumping my shoulders in defeat. It was her new cell-phone which her mother had given to her and it too often rang every few hours, especially when we were alone, much to my annoyance. Once or twice, I had been tempted to tell her to throw it into a ditch but knew better – it was important to her.

She wouldn't tell the full details but explained it like this – it was a way she could have her freedom with me and keep in touch with her mother without having to run home for permission or keep her waiting. I always assumed her mother was the worrisome type because of all these frequent calls, but I never thought it was something else…until much later…and it was too late then.

"Sorry," Sakaki smiled apologetically, taking her silver cell out and answered it. I could tell she was keeping her best to keep her voice from sounding exasperated. "What is it Mother?"

I kicked at the ground lightly as I waited for her conversation to finish.

"Mother, I'm fine," Sakaki said over the phone. "I'm at the park as always."

She turned my way, I gave her a small wave. "Yes, I know. Bye Mother."

She clicked the phone shut, putting it away.

I hugged her arm. "Why don't you just turn it off?"

"I can't," she would always answer with a weak smile.

"Too bad…" I shook my head and kissed her softly.

We resumed our walk; it was just us at the moment as it was still a bit early. I didn't mind – the more time for us two, the better. A thought then occurred to me.

"Say…" I started, "we never really talked about it…but…when's your birthday?"

I felt bit stupid for not having asked this sooner and added. "Mine's in spring."

Sakaki hesitated and lowered her head. "Um…it's passed…"

"Oh, when?"

She swallowed. "L-last week…that's when I got this cell phone…"

I was shocked. She didn't let us know? "Sakaki! Why didn't you tell us?"

"Um…" she sighed. "I-I'm sorry…but…I didn't want to put you through all the trouble…and Christmas is very close…"

"That's no excuse!" I retorted. "No matter what events come up, a girl's got the right to celebrate her birthday! Got that?"

Sakaki was quiet for a moment then nodded slowly. "Yes…"

"And next time, if there's something important going on, you can – and should – talk to me as always," I said, reminding her of our conversation few months ago. "Don't go keeping secrets, okay?"

"All right, I'll remember that."

"Hmm…" I frowned slightly, crossing my arms.

"I swear," Sakaki said, bending down.

I still said nothing, turning my back on her. I felt like playing with her a bit. She then grabbed me from behind, picking me up as I laughed. She hugged me close.

"Do you believe me now?" she asked.

"Of course…" I breathed out between chuckles, and she set me back down. "But I'm still disappointed with you for not telling me about your birthday."

"Sorry," Sakaki repeated.

"So…I want you to make it up to me by letting us celebrate it!" I smiled, she looked up. "Sure, it may be bit late…but I still want to do this, for you and us."

Sakaki sighed. "Yes…thank you…"

We stood for a moment, silence taking over. I needed to break it.

"Hey, watch." I elbowed her lightly and imitated an exhaust pipe, blowing out steam.

She giggled, which made me smile. Suddenly I pointed out with a "Look!" and ran down the sidewalk, leaving her bewildered.

It was a race now, but this time we were just having fun, and the deal was not to win, but keep away from Sakaki. She came running up close behind, I avoided her swipe. I led her off the path, towards our tree, where she then chased me around. I kept ducking away from her behind the bark, teasing her until she tricked me by hiding and came at my back. She spun me around once then nuzzled at my neck.

"Do I get a prize?" she whispered.

I let out a laugh and kissed her full on, wrapping my arms around her neck.

Afterwards, she raised her head. "Hey, look."

I turned to see that the pond had frozen over under the coldness of winter, but how frozen, we didn't know. Sakaki was interested; she walked over to inspect it.

"Hmm…" she bent over slightly.

"Careful," I warned.

She then raised a foot, setting it on the ice and pressed down. It kept firm. She tried again with both of her feet, the ice remained secure. She then stomped on it. I tensed. If she fell…

"Careful!"

"It's all right," she looked my direction. "It won't break."

"We don't know for sure," I called back. "There might be thin spots."

Sakaki remained, sweeping her feet across the ice then waved me over. "Come on."

"What?" I got the idea what she was asking, but I wasn't sure about it. I looked at the pond then back at her. "Are you sure it'll hold us both?"

"Positive," Sakaki held out her hands.

"Um…" I exhaled and put a hesitant foot on it, nothing happened. "Um…I've never skated…"

Immediately, Sakaki pulled me across, making me cry out in surprise. My feet slipped and I fell, still clutching at her arms.

"Oof," I rubbed my backside. "Well, you've got me convinced."

Sakaki picked me up and started tugging me gently along the pond. She then turned ourselves around. It had become some sort of a ballroom dance thing, and I enjoyed it despite myself not being able to dance. Sakaki did most of the leading, and even though we weren't wearing skates, our shoes had enough grip to help us keep our footing as we moved. We skidded along the pond's edges, twirled, and separated before meeting again (whenever we did that, I would start to lose balance and she'd catch me and we would resume skating). Of course, we went slowly since we were only wearing shoes, but I had the time of my life. (Have I said that already? There are so many moments I loved with Sakaki…)

She then embraced me, kissing me deeply as we spun. We soon slowed to a stop, still kissing on the frozen pond. The cold air breezed at us, but we felt nothing but pure, warm bliss.

It was definitely a movie-like moment.

"Happy Birthday, Sakaki…" I whispered to her after.

--

"Can you hand me another cookie?"

Sakaki nodded, handing over a plate of steaming chocolate chip cookies and I took one.

"Thank you."

We were at Chiyo's house, along with our friends. It was another study night. Yomi was looking over her notebook while Tomo was distracted with a pencil and Osaka was sleeping peacefully under the heated table. Chiyo just smiled, watching us.

I laid down beside Sakaki, propping up my notes while she wrote in hers. We still had to be careful when we were close as the others still did not yet know. Sakaki hadn't told me if she was okay with telling yet, so we remained quiet about it.

"Say…I just thought of something…" Tomo let her pencil slip off her nose. "Christmas's coming soon, isn't it?"

"It sure is!" Chiyo replied, nodding.

"Then I propose an idea!" Tomo immediately got to her feet, thrusting out her fist.

"Hmm?" Except for Osaka, we all stared at her.

"Let's have a party here!" Tomo declared.

I groaned. Not this again…She was always saying these sort of things, expecting they would be accepted. She took too much for granted, that was for sure.

But that is not to say I didn't find this idea intriguing. In fact, I looked over to Chiyo expectantly.

Last year…I had not been able to spend the Christmas with everyone on account of family – my dad. But this year, I was sure Dad would give me the chance to join the others…especially Sakaki…

Now that we were together, I was looking forward to this idea more than ever.

_Please._

"Uh…uh…" Chiyo stuttered. "I don't know…my parents…"

"Don't worry, it'll be just us friends!" Tomo assured.

"Um…" Chiyo sighed, smiling slightly. "Okay…I'll ask…"

_Thank you._

"All right!!" Tomo whooped. "But let's make this interesting!"

Again, we turned to her, even Osaka had awakened to look up at her.

"…We should do a sort of a Secret Santa!" Tomo leaned on the table. "I mean, isn't Christmas about sharing gifts and stuff?"

"Y-yeah…but…"

"That sounds good," I said immediately, I was expecting to get Sakaki a present.

"Yes," Sakaki nodded.

"Yay, presents!" Osaka clapped her hands.

Yomi said nothing.

Tomo looked over the group of us then grinned. "Well, it's settled!"

She then ripped a paper from Yomi's notebook and tore it up, much to her infuriation. It took all of the patience Yomi had to not punch the other girl as she wrote down whatever it was on those scraps. Tomo then threw the scraps into Chiyo's Giants cap, which she had picked up just then. Finally, she held the cap out to us. "Take your pick, whoever you get, you have to give 'em a present but no telling them till Christmas!"

Naturally, I went first and picked out a paper…To my joy, it was Sakaki's. I beamed, and only she knew what it meant and smiled herself. Next it was her turn, she picked out a piece and read it then smiled my way. We had each other.

Yomi took one out and looked at it in disbelief. I wondered who she had gotten.

Osaka took hers then promptly said aloud: "Chiyo! I got you, Chiyo!"

We stared at her then Chiyo giggled weakly. "That's nice Osaka, but you're not supposed to say who you got…yet…"

"Oh…" Osaka looked at her paper.

Chiyo picked hers next and giggled again, more cheerfully this time.

Tomo took the last one and sighed. "Figures…"

Sakaki and I just looked at each other, sharing our gazes. I was going to make sure I got her a great gift she would always cherish for a long time.

She thought the same.

--

It was getting late, Tomo and Yomi had already left, but me and Sakaki still stayed, at least for a bit longer.

Osaka was still around, but she was fast asleep, and Chiyo was busy clearing the table of plates which she had used to hand out the sweets. We glanced at each other and scurried over to a corner.

Knowing that Chiyo knew, and doubting Osaka would wake up anytime soon, we shared another kiss. I hugged her waist, moving closer to her.

Something brushed against us and we parted to see Mayaa climb onto our knees, meowing. We exchanged giggles and Sakaki picked him up, tickling his furry belly. Mayaa purred, causing her to blush. Smiling, I petted him on the head and scratched behind his ears, which he enjoyed.

I pecked Sakaki then stroked Mayaa again. "I'll get you something, too."

"Oh, look!" Chiyo exclaimed suddenly, looking towards the window and we turned to see snow falling.

"Ah, it's snowing!" I crawled over to get a better look. It was rare we got weather like this.

It was a beautiful sight – the first snowflakes settling on the windowpane. As we watched, the night scenery was soon covered in a light blanket of white.

"Hey, let's go out," I told Sakaki quietly, and she nodded.

As she and Chiyo went out, I bent down to Osaka and prodded her forehead. "Hey, you got to see this."

But she just mumbled and turned over. I shrugged and followed them.

We stepped out on the front steps, with no need for our warmer clothes as we would be out for just a bit. We watched the snowflakes fall slowly and gently; we had no wish to disturb its tranquility. I cuddled close to Sakaki, and she put an arm around me in response.

"It's so peaceful, isn't it?" I sighed.

"Yes it is…" Sakaki replied softly.

Mayaa soon joined us outside, looking at the snow-covered ground curiously. Being a tropical cat, he had never seen such a sight in his life and pawed at it, his fur bristling excitedly. He sniffed then leaped in, dancing around playfully. We laughed at him then I picked up a handful and threw it at Sakaki. She shrieked and dashed after me as I ran out onto the yard. She tackled me from behind, pulling us down into the snow. As Chiyo watched in amusement, we rolled and splashed each other. After a short while, she came over, too, and we built a small snowman before Mayaa knocked it down.

We certainly enjoyed ourselves.

When it grew darker and colder, we went back inside where we warmed up quickly. Afterwards, it was time to head for home, so I kissed her while Chiyo went to wake Osaka.

"See you later, Sakaki," I said. "I promise I'll get you a nice Christmas gift."

"Me too," Sakaki kissed again.

But we knew we would be happy either way, present or no present. That's what love is.

--

Sakaki had returned home after seeing me off; she checked her watch as she came up to her door. Just in time.

She entered and her mother looked up from across the living room, waiting. Sakaki knew her place and went to sit down before her.

"Tell me, what did you do today?" her mother asked as always.

"I went to the park like I've told you before," Sakaki sighed. "Then I went over to Chiyo's place for study night…"

She paused then smiled slightly. "It snowed, Mother…I played in the snow…"

Her mother simply nodded as she cared. "I see, I see, well it is nice to hear you're handling your free time and studies well…"

Sakaki bowed her head, saying nothing.

Truth to be told, she was getting bit tired of all this. Ever since after the escapade, her mother had gotten to become a demanding sort. Every day, she expected Sakaki to come home at a new time, ten p.m. or earlier unless otherwise noted (like if Sakaki planned to sleepover at a friend's). At least, it was better then having to come home right after school, but she was now also expected to tell about her days. Her mother would not get off her back until she did, and so she did, but not always in full detail. Still, her mother was satisfied.

On Sakaki's birthday, her mother had given her a cell phone, much to her surprise, but there was a catch. It was only for emergency and mother purposes. With it, her mother could keep in touch with every passing hour, making sure she wasn't up to 'something'. It got tiring...fast. But she put up with it, knowing this was the only way she could keep seeing me freely…almost…

"Well," she stood up from the coffee table. "I guess there's nothing to worry about."

Sakaki blinked. "What do you mean, Mother?"

"Well," her mother sighed, crossing her arms. "There no need to tell me about your daily time anymore, you have me convinced enough that you aren't doing any trouble."

Sakaki breathed. Well, that was at least one down.

"But of course, the rules remain the same," her mother frowned. "You still must come home by ten, no later, and I will always check on you...though less this time around."

She walked into the hall, stopping then she turned around.

"And…" she added warningly. "Still, if there is trouble with you, I will not hold back next time, understood?"

"Yes, Mother," Sakaki replied hastily, taking her mother's tone seriously.

"…Good night, Taira," her mother sighed as she went upstairs.

"Good night, Mother."


	11. Christmas Party

Together Always

Christmas Holidays

Author's Notes: The holidays are soon here, what will our main girls get each other? And how will their party go? Let's just read on, shall we?

* * *

"Hey, Dad, I'm home," I called out as I threw my jacket onto a coat rack.

"Hey, Kagura," he replied from the kitchen where he was washing the dishes.

He shut off the sink, shaking his hands dry, and walked over to me.

"So, any thoughts of how you'll be celebrating Christmas?" he asked, ruffling my hair.

"Dad!" I pushed him off. "Well, there's going to be a party at Chiyo's place. It'll be just us friends."

"Oh…" he nodded, but he sounded bit disappointed.

"Dad, I'll still be with you in the morning," I reassured him. "It's for the Eve."

"Ah, that's great then!" he smiled, feeling better. He then put an arm around me. "So, how about New Year's Eve?"

"Dad!" I yelled. "We haven't even thought that far ahead!"

"Excellent!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Here's an idea – for that, how about we have the party at our place?"

"Dad…" I paused, thinking about it, "…that is a good idea…" I approved. "Just as long you don't embarrass me."

"I promise," he said. "So it's set then! Anything else you're going to be doing this Christmas?"

"Yep!" I unveiled a paper scrap with Sakaki's name on it. "We're doing a Secret Santa present exchange thing...I got Sakaki's name!"

"That's terrific!" he grinned. "What are you getting her?"

"Oh…" I left his arm and slumped down in an armchair in the nearby room. "That's the problem…She's too easy to buy for…"

It was true, I knew the top choice for her right off the bat: any old cute, stuffed animal. I admit, it sort of killed the thrill of being unable to decide which gift would be the best choice.

"Ugh…" I sighed in exasperation. "I can just literally buy anything that's on her 'cute' standards, and she'd still be thrilled, but it's not enough. It just doesn't feel like it is...I want to do something more for her."

My dad raised a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Then how about you get her two gifts...if one's not enough?"

"Very-" I paused. "You think that's allowed?"

"How should I know?" he shrugged. "I haven't done that Secret Santa thing since high school…but it's a best bet."

"I like it," I smiled. "I know what I can buy her first, but as for the second, I'll have to think on that later."

"That's my girl!" my dad chuckled.

I just nodded and leaned back on my seat, looking forward to tomorrow when I would go shopping for Sakaki's present. I was excited for it.

--

Meanwhile, Sakaki sat in her room, staring up at her bookshelf.

She, too, had an idea what to buy me…but she would need some extra money. And she didn't want to ask her mother as she was very tight about their money, which would explain Sakaki's surprise when she had gotten that new cell phone her birthday.

It is not to say they were on low income, her mother actually earned a very good salary; Sakaki's allowance was far better than mine. It was that her mother never saw it a point to go spending it on luxuries, she simply saw it as a waste of time – and cash. And she'd always remind Sakaki to use her money wisely, but she – on her mother's point of view – never did, much to her displeasure.

If Sakaki had ran out before the next month's allowance, if she tried to ask her mother for more, her mother would just say "Well, you brought it upon yourself, this is what happens when you use your money recklessly…" and go into a long lecture which ended often in "Life isn't an ATM machine where money is handed to you easily."

So Sakaki couldn't ask her and would have to resort to other means – breaking open her Necoconeco piggy bank. She stood up from her bed and took it from its place on the shelf. She looked at it apologetically.

"I am very sorry."

She then threw it against a wall where it broke apart, its china pieces and coins flying everywhere. It wasn't quiet either, the shattering crash resounded throughout the house which was bound to attract her mother's attention.

Sakaki heard quick running up the stairs to her room. She had to do something…an excuse…

"What on earth?" her mother gasped, opening up the door in a flash.

She saw Sakaki lying there as if she had tripped then the broken bank scattered across the carpet.

"…I tripped, Mother," Sakaki whispered as if she was ashamed with herself.

Her mother just sighed in relief then waved a hand, shaking her head. "Just clean up the mess."

She left and Sakaki picked herself up, grabbing her money. In addition to her allowance she still had left, she had enough for what she had in mind.

"Perfect," she smiled.

--

The next day came, and I walked down the sidewalks of the shopping district, looking out for Sakaki's gift. On any other day, I would have had her beside me, but we were looking for presents for each other, so we went our separate ways.

The Christmas rush was huge – many people were pushing and tackling one another to catch that one sale item or other. I was wise to avoid those maniac middle-aged ladies who stopped at nothing to get the things they wanted, jumping out of their way as they passed by with large number of bags. I ducked into a bookstore for a break. Not many people seemed to think books were ideal holiday gifts...

Inside, I saw Osaka standing in front of a bookcase, looking over a big book which she was barely holding up. I immediately went to her and took it from her, relieving her of the weight.

"Oh, hi Kagura," she greeted, smiling. "Say, you think Chiyo would like that book?"

It wasn't too heavy for me, I checked the shiny cover; it had the curve of earth on it with a weird spaceship over it. It read: 'The Big Encyclopedia of Aliens, Mythical Beasts, and Tales'.

I restrained from bursting with laughter and instead said calmly to her: "No, this is a book you would like. The point of getting gifts is to get someone something _they'd _like, not what _you'd _like."

"Oh…" Osaka frowned. "Aw, I'm stumped…"

I gave her a smile, putting the book under my arm. "Here's an idea, why don't you try cooking books? I've heard Chiyo absolutely loves cooking."

"Ah, that's a great idea!" Osaka exclaimed. "What would I do without ya, Kagura?"

"Heh…" I scratched my head. "It's nothing. Just helping out a friend."

Osaka smiled and stepped off towards the cooking books aisle.

I turned a corner and to my surprise, found Chiyo nearby, looking unsure.

"Chiyo?" I called out.

"Oh, Kagura!" she gasped, turning to me. "What are you doing here?"

"I just stepped inside to get away from the crowd, it's maddening out there," I replied with a mutter. "What about you?"

"Umm…" she looked both ways then whispered. "Can you keep a secret?"

I giggled. "Sure, I can."

"Um…I'm Osaka's Secret Santa," she said quietly.

"You are?" I thought about it – if I had Sakaki and she had me, and if Osaka had Chiyo and Chiyo had her…that meant…

I shook it off, I really don't think too much of the details.

"Yes," Chiyo nodded. "But…I'm not sure what to get her, I thought a book would be good, but I'm not sure what kind…"

I remembered the book in my arm, somehow I'd forgotten about it, and held it out to her.

"Here, why don't you get this one?" I grinned. "I'm sure Osaka would love this."

She looked at it confusedly.

"Trust me," I added.

"Well, if you say so…" Chiyo took it and nearly fell down with it. "Oof! I'll buy her this, thanks for your help."

"No problem," I shrugged. "By the way, Osaka's here too, can you believe that?"

"What?" she nearly screamed, looking around frantically. "She is? Ah! Don't tell her! I've got to hide!"

"Relax," I held out my hands. "If she sees you, she'll just forget about it later. Trust me, she doesn't question a whole lot."

"Oh…" Chiyo relaxed. "Thank you again, I'll go now, and see you later at the Christmas party!"

"See ya!" I waved her off then remembered something. "Oh wait, Chiyo!"

Soon I returned outside, back in the crowd rush and went along with the current. I dropped in a music store on my way for another breather and found Yomi looking through a rack with no Tomo in sight. I had never really thought about it before, but it was bit strange to see them without each other in the public.

"Hey, Yomi!" I called out to her, and she instantly whipped around as if she thought she had heard a ghost.

"Oh, it's just you," she sighed. "I thought you were…someone else."

She glanced sideways suspiciously.

"So, where's Tomo?" I asked.

"Ha!" Yomi raised her arm. "Knowing her, she's probably out getting a gag gift for the unlucky soul she got assigned to…I hope to God, it's not me."

Recalling my thought at the bookstore, I forced a chuckle. "Yeah…well, good luck with your present-finding."

"You, too," she replied and went back to checking the CDs.

I caught sight of Tomo dashing by the window. "Hey, there's Tomo!"

I turned back to see that Yomi had ducked under the rack.

"Whatever you do, don't tell her I'm here…" she hissed.

But then Tomo entered inside, looking around brightly.

I heard Yomi curse and saw her pick up a case and crawl over to a new hiding place. "Don't look at me, she'll find me!"

I ignored her and greeted Tomo. "What're you doing here?"

"What does it look like?" she retorted then ran off, not helping me with a real answer.

"Ah well," I went back outside.

I continued down the path and noticed Sakaki coming out of a building. I wasn't interested in knowing what it was, I wanted to see her.

"Hey, Sakaki!" I called out and she faced my way, quickly hiding whatever she had behind her back.

"Hi Kagura," she greeted as I walked closer.

"Say, what's that behind you?" I asked, trying to peek around her.

She avoided me, giggling lightly. "No, not yet."

"Come on, show me," I tried again and she dodged around me.

"You'll see later." She kissed me briefly and dashed off. "Bye."

"Bye Sakaki," I waved after her then resumed my walk.

Finally, I dropped into a small mall and passed by its many sections, looking for the toy area where I was sure to find Sakaki's gift.

On my way, I found somebody familiar in the clothing department; it was Kaorin, who was struggling with another girl over a sweater.

I hadn't seen her for a long while since she got transferred to Mr. Kimura's class, so I thought I'd greet her.

"Kaorin?"

She looked my way, pushing off the other girl. "Kagura?"

Having acquired her prize, she folded the red sweater in her arms. "What do you want?"

Right, I forgot – she seemed to have issues with me.

"Nothing, thought I'd just say hello," I shrugged. "It's been a while."

"Yeah, yeah, lucky you got the class with Sakaki and I didn't," she muttered, not looking my way. She suddenly clapped her hand over her mouth, blushing profusely.

"What was that?" I asked, I didn't catch what she had just said.

"I just said, you're lucky you didn't get Mr. Kimura," she sighed, still sporting a pink blush.

"Yeah, sorry."

Then I thought about the Christmas party. Perhaps, it wouldn't hurt to have her along as well. She could use the invite considering her predicament the past months.

"Hey, you know we're having a Christmas party at Chiyo's place," I said. "Would you like to come?"

She looked at me, her expression was letdown. "Oh…I couldn't…I have to go with my family for our Christmas gathering…"

"Aw, that's too bad…" I sighed. "Sorry."

"Yeah…" she turned away from me and I left her.

Later, I heard her scream: "DAMMIT!"

I shook my head. Poor girl; she didn't seem to have it going all well for her.

I found a nice gray tabby cat plush in the stuffed animals aisle of the toy section and bought it. I was sure Sakaki would obviously love it; it even had an additional red collar.

Now, what would I do for the second present?

--

"You want to make her something?" My dad looked queasy, grabbing his stomach. "You're not going to try to cook, are you?"

"Of course not!" I slapped him lightly. "But I do want to make something for her, something she'll love and cherish for a long time...I really want to put my heart into it."

"That's a very sweet notion," my dad replied, smiling, "but what exactly do you plan to make?"

"Let's think…" I was reminded of Kaorin and the sweater. The sweater!

"I know, I'll make her a sweater," I said.

"But…" he stared at me. "…You can't knit…You don't exactly have the craft hands of a girl…"

"Shut up!" I snapped at him – I didn't mean to, though. "It's the thought that counts! I'm going to do it, and you're not going to change my mind about it!"

I left him and he rubbed his neck. "Boy, she can be stubborn sometimes."

Hours later, I had found a basket of yarn and a pair of knitting needles in the closet and went to work. My dad explained they must have been my mom's as she loved knitting and was very good at it. Unfortunately, that skill hadn't been passed down to me, but I still managed a decent looking dark-green sweater. I didn't try any patterns as it would be too hard for me to accomplish.

"Hey, Dad, what do you think?" I held it up to him.

He took a look and muffled a snicker. "It's nice…but tad small…"

I looked, he was right, it was too small for Sakaki but just the right size for Mayaa.

Frustrated, I threw it across the room and grabbed my hair. "Augh! I can never do anything right!"

My dad went over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "That's not true, you're good at a lot of things! You know that."

"Mm…you're right Dad," I sighed. "But the party is tomorrow, and I still can't make Sakaki that second present."

"Mm, think about it, what are you good at?" my dad asked.

"Well…it's clear I suck at 'girl' stuff like cooking and knitting," I mumbled.

"Don't put it so harshly," he muttered. "That may be true, but what about other things besides that?"

I thought about it then looked at my hands. I smiled. "I know, can we go to the garage?"

He grinned. "Sure, we can."

--

"…Mother?"

"Yes, daughter?" her mother looked up from her book.

Sakaki stood in the hallway, dressed warmly with a plastic yellow bag at her side.

"…Today is Christmas Eve, I'm going to my friend's place for a party," Sakaki went on quietly. "…and I was wondering if it would be okay for me to stay later?"

"…A party?" Her mother was silent for a moment then returned to her book. "Well…it is a holiday, I believe there's no harm in it, you may go as you please."

"Thank you very much, Mother," Sakaki smiled softly and left.

Meanwhile, my dad saw me off as I left for the party.

"Have fun, enjoy yourselves!" he waved after me. "Tell them I give them a Merry Christmas!"

"Will do, Dad!" I promised then looked at my shiny green bag where my two presents waited inside. I smiled. I couldn't wait to show them to Sakaki.

It was still day out, so it was expected when I came in early and found Chiyo still preparing for the party.

"Hey, Chiyo," I greeted.

"Oh," she faced me, smiling. "You're here early!"

"Yeah, where do I put the gifts?" I held up my bag.

"Under that tree," Chiyo pointed to the living room. "By the way, Sakaki's here also."

"Oh, she is?" I grinned. "Thanks."

I walked in and the first thing I noticed was that it was the largest Christmas tree I had ever seen, its top barely brushing the high ceiling. The next thing I noticed was Sakaki at the bottom, adjusting some boxes. I giggled mischievously and crept over to her, covering her eyes.

"Who's there?" I asked.

"Kagura?" she replied.

I let go. "You're no fun."

She just stood up and kissed me, hugging my body close.

"Are those my presents?" she asked as she looked down at my bag.

"Yep, but you can't see them yet," I chuckled, setting it down next to hers. "So you're helping Chiyo?"

"Yes," she indicated the boxes nearby which were filled with decorations, ornaments and lights. "Would you like to help, too?"

"That'd be cool," I nodded. "So what's Chiyo doing now?"

"She's preparing snacks for the party."

"I see."

I bent down with her to take out the decorations and firstly decorated the living room where the party would take place. I noticed Chiyo also had a fireplace with stockings tacked onto it. I smiled. How classic.

Later, Osaka arrived and after greeting us, she went to help Chiyo with the baking. Next on our list was to finish up the tree, so we opened up cases of the ornaments.

Mayaa wiggled playfully in the golden tinsel as we hung up orbs of various colors suiting to the mood. I noticed the lights had already been set up as I put up another orb. I guessed she had placed them before I came over. Sakaki then picked up a package of peppermint candy canes, so we set them up as well, sharing one between us.

The tree was done…well, almost. I pointed to the star in one of the boxes. "What about that one?"

"Chiyo said she wanted to wait until everybody was here so she could put it up," Sakaki replied.

I nodded. "Let's go back."

She gave me a minty kiss before we went into the kitchen. Chiyo was just setting a tray of gingerbread cookies on the counter as Osaka stood beside her. "Oh, you're finished?"

"Yup," I sat at the table, taking in the aroma of baked sugar. "Mm…that smells delicious…"

I saw Osaka was staring at the cookies which had been shaped like people.

"What is it?" I asked her.

"That's strange…They didn't move…" she mumbled quietly, still staring.

"Really…" I sat back.

I looked over to the side, seeing bags of candies and squeezable icing. "Are we going to put those on them?"

"Yep!" Chiyo smiled. "When Tomo and Yomi come over, we'll decorate them together…Then we can eat them too!"

"Yum, sounds like fun!" I grinned.

But Sakaki looked around uncertainly then asked, blushing shyly. "Um…do you have any cats?"

Chiyo giggled. "Of course, I'll make some. I have cat and dog cookie cutters too."

"Thank you…" she smiled.

About an hour later, Tomo and Yomi arrived just as the sky was growing dark even though it was only five in the afternoon.

"Let's get the party started!" Tomo announced, thrusting up a fist.

"Yeah!" I, Chiyo, and Osaka exclaimed, doing the same.

"So what are we going to do first?" Tomo asked. "Seeing as you're the host, you decide!"

"Well, we'll decorate the gingerbread cookies," Chiyo pointed towards the kitchen. "Any way you want it."

"And we get to eat them after?"

"Yes!"

"Oh, yummy! Let's go!" Tomo waved her arm excitedly.

And so all six of us were seated at the counter, fixing up the cookies.

"Look," Sakaki showed a dog-shaped cookie covered in white icing with black licorice for an eye and nose. "Mr. Tadakichi."

"That's great!" Chiyo smiled. "I'm making him, too!"

I looked over to Osaka's side where she was putting red cinnamon candy and licorice in various places, giving her gingerbread man a strange appearance.

"What are you doing?"

She slowly turned my way, staring at me with serious eyes. "The Chupacabra…"

"O…kay…" I leaned backwards as she resumed her handiwork.

I heard some snickering and looked over to Tomo and Yomi on the other side; Tomo was enjoying whatever she was doing to her cookie. She then picked it up and held it out to us.

"Hey look, it's Yomi!" she shook it; it did bear a good resemblance especially with its black licorice glasses. "Check it, she's fat! Fat, fat, fatty fat…"

Yomi's face turned red as Tomo sing-sang, and then she karate-chopped her head. "You are SO immature…"

"Oh, lighten up!" Tomo complained, rubbing her head.

I looked back to Sakaki, whom was working on a cat-shaped cookie, squeezing chocolate icing to make out its markings.

"That's Mayaa, right?"

She nodded and I checked my gingerbread man. It was very generic with a smiley face and M&Ms for buttons.

"Ehh…" I shrugged, working on another one.

After a half-hour, we had made a good number of decorated gingerbread people and pets-the majority of it being my generic ones. Osaka had only made one which was her alien cookie, Sakaki had only made the dog and Mayaa, Chiyo some creative ones, and to our amusement, Tomo and Yomi had made ourselves.

"Here's you...and here's you...Oh, and here's you, fatty," Tomo handed them out, the last comment earned her another smack on the head by Yomi.

Sakaki took hers and noted marshmallows had been put on the chest area, emphasizing her 'bra size'. She turned a deep pink.

"Very funny," I muttered to Tomo who just grinned.

I looked at mine; it wasn't too bad, even the chocolate hair was a perfect likeness of mine. "Heh, nice job, Yomi."

She simply nodded when Tomo shouted out. "All right! Let's dig in!"

She chewed down her cookie in matter of seconds despite Yomi's warnings to eat slower.

"Yummy!" she laughed.

I ate mine, biting off the head then looked to Sakaki whom hadn't picked up her creations yet. Rather, she was just sitting there.

"Sakaki?"

She glanced over to me with a mortified look. "…W-we must eat them?"

"Well, yeah," I swallowed. "Wasn't that the point of the cookies?"

"…" she looked down to her cookies. "I-I can't eat them…"

"Then I'll eat them for you!" Tomo reached out, but Sakaki had taken them out of the way. "Eh?"

"No," Sakaki said firmly.

"But…"

"No!"

That shut her up, for now, and Sakaki put away her cookies in a plastic bag to save for later. After finishing off myself, I pointed to the cookie of herself. "Can I have that?"

She pushed it towards me and I picked it up, biting off the marshmallows first.

"Uh…" Sakaki watched with a pink blush, and I realized what I was eating.

"Oh my god," my face burned as I held out the cookie away from me.

After we had eaten the cookies and the party snacks, we went to the living room where we would soon open up our gifts.

"Sakaki, can you help me put up the star?" Chiyo asked and she nodded, picking her up.

She raised her high enough so Chiyo was able to set down the star.

"Okay, light it up!"

I plugged it in and the tree blazed with a golden light, we awed in the sight of it. It seemed so heavenly with its flickering, the shine reflecting off its ornaments. I leaned closer to Sakaki and smiled.

"All right, let's open up the goods!" Tomo yelled, shattering the sweet tranquility of it all.

"Geez, Tomo!"

We grabbed our gifts and were preparing to hand them out to each other. Osaka went over to Chiyo whom was sitting on the couch with a large gift-wrapped box next to her.

"Here Chiyo, I got you this," Osaka said holding out her gift to her.

"Oh, thanks Osaka!" Chiyo smiled, taking it then pointed to the box. "Here, I got you this, too!"

"Wow!" Osaka gasped after she had ripped away the wrapping. "How'd ya know?…You didn't read my mind, did ya?"

She stared at her intently.

Chiyo giggled weakly. "No…I had some help."

She smiled my way, I returned it with a nod.

"Oh wow, Yomi!" Tomo exclaimed holding up a CD case then wrapped an arm around her friend's neck. "This is great! You're the best, Yomi!"

"Heh…" Yomi chuckled. "So…who's my Secret Santa?"

"I am!" Tomo shoved a small box into Yomi's hands. "Open it up!"

"Uh…" Yomi could only stammer, looking at her in disbelief. "Y-You are?"

"Well, duh," Tomo replied as matter-of-factly. "Open it up! I can't wait!"

"…It's not going to explode in my face or anything, its it?" Yomi glared at her.

"Of course not!" Tomo protested mockingly. "What kind of a person do you take me for?"

"…Well…here it goes…" Yomi exhaled and lifted off the top, backing away as if she expected it to do something. It didn't, she took a peek inside and took out a microphone.

"Huh? What's this?" she questioned.

"That…" Tomo pointed. "…Is a battery-powered microphone! See, you can press that little button and it makes your voice louder without having to plug it in! Great for songs!"

"…Are you mocking me?" Yomi frowned. "…My singing's terrible."

"Well, that's a no-brainer!" Tomo laughed which caused her to glare again. "But…you love singing don't you?"

Yomi chuckled. "Right…It is a nice gift after all…Thank you, Tomo…"

"Hey, sing us 'Twelve Days of Christmas!'!" Tomo requested.

"Are you sure?" Yomi blinked at her.

"'Course I'm sure!" Tomo said happily. "Don't be shy, sing it!"

"Well…if you insist…" Yomi stood up, raising the microphone to herself.

At that moment, Tomo gave us ear plugs and raised a finger to her lips. "Shush! Put these on."

Immediately all girls, except me, as I had never experienced Yomi's singing skills before, put them on. Sakaki noticed this and whispered to me. "Trust me, put them on."

So I did and was grateful for it because as Yomi began singing, even with the plugs in, I could practically hear her loud off-key tones ringing in my head. The plugs muffled the worst of it.

After she was done, we removed the plugs without her noticing.

"So…how was I?" she asked.

"The best!" Tomo gave a thumbs-up as the rest of us forced our smiles.

"Sakaki, Kagura, it's your turn!" Chiyo looked over to us and we faced each other.

"You go first," I said to Sakaki.

She nodded and handed me her gift bag. I opened it up and took out a card.

"Hmm?" It read simply inside:

'_I promise you will get your real gift soon,_

_I love you very much, _

_-Sakaki'_

"Oh Sakaki…" I could feel the tears coming-it was not of being upset that I didn't get an actual thing, it was of joy at the written words.

I could tell Tomo was about to say something rude, but, fortunately, Yomi kept her quiet.

"Here's one more, too," Sakaki said, pulling out a small brown shiba inu plush wearing a Santa Claus cap.

"Thank you…" I smiled at her. "…Your turn."

I handed my bag to her and she pulled out the tabby cat first.

"Oh. Kagura!" she gasped, cuddling it. "Thank you!"

"Heh, no problem," I scratched my head. "There's more, too."

She next pulled out a green sweater bundle. "What's this?"

"…My failed attempt," I mumbled, blushing. "It'll only fit Mayaa."

She giggled lightly then inspected it. "There's something heavy inside it…"

"Carefully," I said as she unveiled it.

She gasped sharply at the shiny new photo frame which was decorated with metal butterfly and cat pins.

"This is…" she breathed.

"I made it with Dad's help," I explained. "While I may not be able to cook and stuff, I can definitely do a work in the guy's garage…I hope you like it, I really wanted to make you something that you'd enjoy for a very long time."

Sakaki smiled one of her warmest smiles. I could tell she really wanted to kiss me.

"Hey look, there's a mistletoe," Osaka said suddenly, pointing.

We looked up, she was right; there was a mistletoe over our heads. We returned to each other, and I gained a blush.

"Um…I don't it really works like that-" Yomi turned to Osaka.

To their-and mine-surprise, Sakaki pulled me into a deep kiss.

"Whoa…" exclaimed Yomi and Tomo quietly while Chiyo just giggled and Osaka just stared.

We pulled apart, she smirked as I sighed dreamily. I realized she must have had this planned, being in the charge of the decorations and all.

I knew what we would do now.

I took her hands as we turned to our friends. "We would like to tell you something…Sakaki and I love each other very much…I hope you can understand that…"

For a moment there was silence then Osaka spoke up.

"I knew it."

"WHAT??"

We stared at her. I was completely shocked. "W-what do you mean?"

"Well…wasn't it obvious?" Osaka drawled. "I mean…ya were always challenging and talking and going everywhere with her and stuff…"

"Uh…why didn't you say anything?" I blushed.

"Nobody would take me seriously," Osaka shrugged. "Not a lot seem to do so…"

"I can see that…" I muttered under breath.

"But now, she does bring up a point," Tomo pointed then chuckled.

She then looked at us. "So…"

"So…what?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Did ya do 'it' yet?" she asked.

"TOMO!" I screamed, my face burning.

"Tomo!" Yomi slapped her. "That was unneeded!"

"What? I'm curious!" Tomo rubbed her head.

"That's none of your business!" I shot back at her.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Chiyo asked, looking around confusedly. "What does 'it' mean?"

We paused for a moment then burst with laughter.

"You'll see when you're older," Osaka said to her.

Still chortling, I gave Sakaki another kiss on her cheek.

It was so nice that our friends had accepted it so casually, nothing could ruin us now…

--

It was time to go home, we waited inside the hallway as our friends passed us by.

"By the way, congratulations," Yomi smiled.

"Thank you," we nodded.

"You're so lucky," Tomo leaned on Yomi's shoulder. "Barely out of high school, and already you've got girlfriends!"

I blushed slightly. "Y-yeah…"

"Oh man!" Tomo stretched her arms. "I gotta get one before you leave me in the dust! Yomi! Will you be mine?"

"Huh?" Yomi stepped back. "You're joking, right?"

"Ha! I'm just fooling with ya. You should've seen your face, though!" Tomo laughed, patting her back. "But seriously, you guys are so lucky!"

"We should get going," Yomi muttered and Tomo dashed off with a "Merry Christmas! Don't let the fat slow you down, Yomi!"

"Grr!" Yomi growled, stomping after her. "I swear, one of those days…Merry Christmas to you, too!"

We smiled, I hugged close to Sakaki as she stroked my hair.

Later, she dropped me off at my home and gave me another kiss.

"Merry Christmas. I love you," she sighed.

"I love you, too," I kissed her.

She then left, waving to me and I waved back.

"Merry Christmas, Sakaki…"

--

Sakaki returned to her home, yawning. She was tired.

She stepped inside to see it was dark, her mother must already be sleeping, so she tiptoed upstairs where she fell onto her bed and welcomed her dreams of Christmas and me.

Moments later, though, she stirred awake to a disturbance in her room and sat up, trying to focus her vision in the darkness.

"What…?"

She could make out a shadow of a person before she drifted off into sleep again.

The next morning, she awoke to the sun on her face and sat up, rubbing her eyes. As she lowered her hands, she noticed a small box on her bedside table and picked it up curiously.

All it said was "Merry Christmas, Taira Sakaki; From: Santa Claus".

She then opened it up to reveal a gold chain necklace with a matching heart-shaped pendant.

"Oh…" she sighed then looked up. She stood from her bed and walked into the hallway, towards the room of her mother.

She reached for the doorknob, then stopped.

She exhaled and turned away, walking back into her room.

The door was left undisturbed for the rest of the day.


	12. New Year's Dreams

Together Always

New Year Dreams

Author's Notes: Well, well, the Azugang has accepted Sakaki and Kagura's relationship! Joyous day! Soon, already the eve of the new year is upon them and dreams are spurned. Will they just be plain strange or could they hold some meaning to them? Read on…

Just in case, if it starts to sound like I'm recycling words-maybe I am-I'm not sure, please do excuse me-I lose track of what I've written in every last chapter

* * *

"Everything all set?"

"Yeah, Dad," I replied, setting down a bowl of chips.

"Great!" he grinned, clapping his hands. "I really can't wait to meet all your other friends!"

I nodded, moving some snacks aside.

As you may remember, a couple of weeks ago during the Christmas holidays, my dad had suggested we have my friends over for the New Year's Eve. I gave Chiyo the word when I ran into her at the bookstore then it was passed on to the others. They were cool with the idea and looked forward to it. Now the evening was here, and as it was about time to get started, we expected them to come in shortly.

It would be no surprise that the first person to arrive would be…

"Sakaki!" I greeted her as I opened up the door. "You're here first."

She smiled and stroked my hair. "Good."

She leaned down to kiss, but then there was a flash of light. My dad had just taken a picture.

"Dad!" I pushed down his camera. "What was that all about?"

"Just taking your first picture with Sakaki," he smiled, raising his camera. "We really ought to get the photo books up-to-date again."

"Oh, Dad…" Sakaki then took my chin, pressing her lips on my cheek softly as the camera clicked.

Shortly after Sakaki's arrival, the rest of our friends had come and were invited in by my dad as we 'waited' in the living room.

"Kagura! They're here," he called from the hall, making us pull away from our kiss.

We stepped into the hallway to greet them.

"Hey guys!" I called out to them. "Great you could make it!"

"Ah, I wouldn't miss a party for my life!" Tomo said happily as she pumped her fist. "So when do we get started?"

"Right about now!" my dad shouted jovially.

"All right, now that's what I'm talking about!" Tomo whooped and dashed off, dragging Yomi behind her into the living room. "Let's go!"

"Oh, you must be Kagura's dad!" Chiyo gasped, looking up at him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kagura."

"Just call me Akio." He shrugged then bent down to the girl's eye level. "And you must be Chiyo."

"Yes I am!" she smiled. "How did you know?"

He raised a finger then pointed. "Your pigtails. Kagura's told me how weird they are."

"Huh?"

I slapped a hand onto my face. "Why did you have to tell her that?"

"Ah, someone's getting it, too!" Osaka said suddenly, my dad looked at her.

"And you must be Osaka…"

"That's what they call me," she replied.

Just then came yelling from the other room followed by a yelp of pain.

"And those girls whom you say always argue, they're Tomo and Yomi?" my dad asked.

"Sure they are," I said.

"Well then, we better get a move on before they break something," he chuckled, waving us along.

We returned in time to see them still shooting off heated phrases at each other, Tomo was rubbing her head.

"What's the deal this time?" My dad inquired curiously.

Tomo and Yomi paused, looking at us then back to each other. "I…we…don't…know…"

And the party resumed as normally as it could.

We chatted about our holidays during the Christmas week, what we had gotten (Sakaki was strangely quiet about it), and how it had been. We soon moved onto topics about tomorrow and the upcoming exams as well as our later graduation.

Then my dad came back with his camera. "All right, girls, I want you to round up close, so I can take your picture."

We obliged. Naturally, I sat close to Sakaki on the couch and held her hands while Tomo and Yomi settled to the right and Osaka and Chiyo sat down on the carpet in front.

"Good, good," my dad took a step back, raising his camera. "Say…cheese!"

At the moment it clicked, Osaka had said "Why?" while Tomo put up two fingers behind Yomi's head without her notice, and Sakaki kissed me quickly.

My dad laughed. "That was perfect!"

He pocketed his camera. "Would you like some sundaes?"

We approved then Tomo raised her hand. "Let's break out the champagne!"

Yomi bopped her head, hissing. "We're not drinking!"

But my dad just chuckled amusingly. "We'll see…"

After he had left, Yomi turned to us. "Ah right, what'll be your new year's resolutions?"

"We already know yours!" Tomo giggled, poking Yomi's side which caused her to blush. "Your tummy gives it away!"

"All right, what's yours, genius?" Yomi snapped irritably at her.

"Hah...to have a chest like Sakaki's, of course!"

Utter silence. Sakaki crossed her arms shyly. Then Chiyo stood up, raising her arm.

"All right then, I'm going to try to be tall like Sakaki!"

"Good luck with that," I chuckled while Sakaki smiled gently.

Tomo let out a mirthful laugh then leaned forward. "You sure? Well then, you think you can stay up till midnight?"

"Um…yeah…" Chiyo responded uncertainly.

Tomo chuckled again, sitting back. "I doubt it, you're still a little child."

"Am not!" Chiyo protested.

"Child…Child…Can't stay up all night…" Tomo sing-sang, twiddling her fingers.

"I will!" Chiyo frowned, clenching her fists as she stamped. "Just you see, I'll stay up and see the new year with you!"

But Tomo still persisted, annoying the poor girl even more.

"Quit teasing her!" Yomi scolded, but Tomo ignored her,. She sighed, shaking her head.

She then faced the rest of us. "What about you?"

Osaka said nothing, she had blanked out on what she was to do for next year.

"Kagura?"

"Ugh…" I groaned quietly, I didn't really have any plans in mind except to survive the last three months. "I just want to get through the hells of exams."

"Mm-hm, don't we all?" Yomi muttered then faced Sakaki. "Sakaki?"

"Oh," she then looked at me. "Well…"

Before she could continue, we were interrupted by Chiyo staring up at us pleadingly.

"Do you think I could make it to midnight?" she whispered. "Tomo's saying I can't…"

I glanced at the clock, we had three more hours to go.

"Sure you can," I reassured her with a smile, Sakaki nodded.

She smiled. "Thanks."

My dad returned with a tray – which carried the sundaes – handing them out to us according to our taste.

I shared one with Sakaki – a bowl of vanilla ice cream covered in whipped cream with chocolate syrup. She plucked the red cherry off the top and offered it to me. I gave her a spoonful of our ice cream in return.

Meanwhile, there was another outburst. Tomo had gotten greedy and tried to steal some out of Yomi's bowl, saying she had no need for it due to her diet and all. Of course, one can already guess Yomi's reaction.

But we ignored their tussling, too busy sharing our treat of sweet kisses.

As it grew late, we had finished our dessert and it was noticeable that Chiyo was having a difficulty staying awake on such a full stomach. She kept tilting sideways when she sat as she might fall over. Too often, she would sit up with a start, muttering repeatedly the usual words, "I'm awake…I'm not going to fall asleep…"

Later still, Chiyo was alert but her eyes drooped with sleepiness and she mumbled on of which I couldn't make out. She was starting to remind me of Osaka whom wasn't even tired at the moment.

Then she let out the biggest yawn I had ever seen, Tomo was thrilled.

"I'm…not…tired…" Chiyo continued.

Seeing her yawn like that gave me an itch and before I knew it, I was yawning as well.

"Whoo, yeah!" Tomo exclaimed.

Sakaki followed suit then Osaka then Yomi then Tomo and Chiyo again…it had become a circle of yawners .

"T-t-that w-was…great," Tomo said while stifling her third yawn.

I was getting bit drowsy myself, I leaned against Sakaki's shoulder as I yawned again.

"Now, now girls!" my dad called out as he walked in with a bottle and glasses. "Can't have you dozing off before the countdown, can we?

"Here, have some cider, they'll pep you right up," he grinned as he set them on the table, shortly filling up the glasses.

I took a sip and awoke to a sensation of fizzling bubbles in flavor of apples. Everyone else had taken their drinks and were again looking as renewed as before, even Chiyo whom had been on the verge of collapsing.

"Now that all you have your wits back about you, it's time for a proper cheer," my dad raised his own glass. "It's almost time."

He pointed to the clock which was now a minute away from past midnight.

He then leaned onto the back of an armchair, we raised ours following his act.

"Together, let's begin count…ten…nine…" he began count.

"Eight…" we joined in, "…seven…six…"

"Five…four…three…two…one…Happy New Year's! Cheers!"

We clinked glasses and downed them, Chiyo then stood up excitedly. "I made it! I stayed up till midnight!"

Just after that statement, she toppled over and was soon dozing contently on the carpet. We shared giggles at the sight, then, to my surprise, Sakaki immediately took my hands in hers and knelt down.

"S-Sakaki?"

She reached into her back pocket of her pants. "This is the real present I promised you…I wish to make a resolution with it…one that'll stay…"

For a wild moment, I (and very likely the others, too) thought she was going to ask my hand in marriage – which was partly true, in a sense – when she took out a small ring box.

She opened it up and placed a silver ring onto my middle finger. I was at loss for words.

Sakaki then raised my hand to her lips and gazed at me, her deep-blue eyes glowing.

"Kagura, I love you very much…I want to stay with you always…will you promise me the same?"

I could barely recognize my next strangled words. "Y-yes Sakaki, I-I will!"

I hugged her close, my emotions flowing freely into her shoulder. She did the same, running her hand over my back.

Sakaki then lifted my chin gently and we went into one of our best and deepest kisses.

This was the moment I had really been waiting for, she and I were now truly together.

_I love you Sakaki._

--

The party was over, and it was time for our friends to go home. Interestingly enough, the others seemed to enjoy staying out late to see the dawn of New Year's just the same. Osaka, Tomo, and Yomi were already gone, but Chiyo remained, fast asleep on the couch under a soft blanket.

"Shh," my dad raised a finger. "I've called, her dad'll be picking her up soon."

For a split second, I saw Sakaki's eyes glaze over as they usually did whenever she had those daydreams – which she refused to spill information on – then she was back to normal.

"Sakaki?" I asked timidly.

"Er-what?" she blinked.

"Let's go upstairs in my room, okay?" I said quietly as not to disturb Chiyo.

Earlier, Sakaki had asked to stay overnight and, well, how could I say 'no' to that?

She followed me upstairs and into my constantly messy room, closing the door behind us.

"Okay, you could borrow-" I pointed to the dresser but Sakaki was already pulling down her pants. I felt a blush creep into my cheeks but it faded away in relief when I saw Sakaki was wearing a white undershirt and pale blue under-shorts. Still, I couldn't help but notice her bare shoulders and her long legs…

She giggled a bit at my ogling and climbed onto my bed, resting on her side.

"Sure you're still not ready?" she asked softly.

"Wha-?" I blinked then remembered what she meant and shook my head. "Oh, n-no, not tonight, w-we have to get up in the m-morning."

"Oh, okay, I see," Sakaki nodded, rolling back.

Hurriedly, I changed into my oversized t-shirt and joined Sakaki in bed, pulling the covers over us.

"Good night, Sakaki," I kissed her, stroking her hair. "I won't forget our promise."

"Me neither," Sakaki smiled, sliding an arm around my waist. "Good night, Kagura."

We kissed once more before drifting off into sleep.

--

"_W-what? Where am I?" I had found myself in front of a house I had never seen before. _

_Something about its presence felt familiar to me, though, and I didn't understand why._

_I turned to look if there was something more, but it was just me and the house. The rest of the background was completely white._

_I turned back to the house, suddenly feeling a strange pull towards its front doors as if it was directing me to enter inside. Slowly, I stepped up and gave a hesitant knock. No one answered, but the door had opened slightly. I pushed against it, moving it aside a bit._

"_Hello?"_

_Still no answer, so I came fully into the house. The door creaked shut behind me as I wandered across the hall._

"_Honey!" I whirled around in surprise to see Sakaki coming up to me, but this Sakaki was different. She looked…older, as a mature woman would, wearing a white blouse and jeans. And what was this 'Honey' bit? I wasn't much for pet names._

"_Er…Sakaki?" I stepped back shyly._

_She stopped, her outstretched arms paused in midair. She frowned, lowering them._

"_Are you okay?" she asked concernedly. "You don't seem yourself."_

"_Well…I…" I stammered, not certain what to say._

"_Would tea be fine?" She waved to the kitchen._

"_Er…y-yeah…" I followed her in where I was seated at the table, and she brought over the teapot and cups._

_I took one but didn't drink it. I instead took the time to look around. It was a nice and neat place; I wouldn't mind living here if it wasn't for the fact the house was smack dab in middle of nowhere, and the Sakaki offering me sugar was much older than she was supposed to be._

"_Er…Hope you don't my asking, but where am I?"_

_Older Sakaki let out a chuckle, smiling. "Oh honey, this is our home, don't you remember?"_

"_O-OUR home?" I spluttered into my tea, I was drinking it now._

"_Yes…our home…" Older Sakaki frowned again. "We've had this house for years now. We've gone through many things together…Don't you remember?"_

"_Er, sorry-no," I apologized, thinking whether I really should have or not._

"_Oh…honey, you really don't seem yourself today…" Older Sakaki shook her head lightly, as in disbelief. "Do you at least remember our daughter?"_

_I choked, spitting tea all over the table._

"_WE HAVE A D-DAUGHTER?" I nearly screamed but remembered my manners. "…B-but how??"_

"_Yes, we have a daughter," Older Sakaki nodded, crossing her arms. "She'll be coming by soon."_

_She turned to face the door, I did the same. In moments, I could see a shadow creeping up the wall through the doorway, its shape becoming clearer as the figure came closer. It was a girl, no doubt about it. She was definitely in her teens, but what did she look like? I was curious..._

But before I could see her, I had woken up...thanks to Sakaki's wandering arm. She had smacked me on my head, though she didn't mean to as she was still deeply asleep.

I sighed, sitting up and stretched my arms. I pondered the dream in my head. It had been interesting, but confusing. Did it all mean something? Or was it just a dream?

"Hmm…" I leaned down to her. "If we ever end up in a house together, _please_ don't ever call me 'Honey', all right?"

She said nothing, she was lost in her own dreams, and I yawned, returning to my sleep.

"Don't smack me again, okay?" I mumbled tiredly before I drifted off again.

--

Meanwhile, Sakaki was having strange events of her own…

_She was standing in a large building that had a very high ceiling with stained glass windows and rows of seats on either side of a deep purple rug that ran up from the wooden doorway to the organ and the choir. You may call it a church._

_Sakaki stood near the organ, in a shiny black tuxedo with a pure white rose in the front pocket._

_She looked around nervously; she recognized none of the people seated on the benches. She looked back to her right where bridesmaid Chiyo, in her salmon-pink dress, and best man Mayaa, in a black bowtie, stood. The girl smiled and waved while the kitten purred encouragingly._

_Sakaki nodded then turned to the organ where Osaka was seated, slowly pressing the keys to no set tune, it was all jumbled notes but the people did not seem upset by it._

"_Very good," said a booming voice, and a strangely-shaped golden cat known as Chiyo's Father descended as if from the heavens themselves. "Now play the marching song, for there comes the bride."_

_Osaka nodded and the music moved more quickly but it was still off-key._

_The door swung open and two people came forward; Akio, my dad, and myself, dressed in a white bride's gown with a bouquet of lilies in my hands. I had smiled at Sakaki as my dad led me down the corridor. _

_She smiled back then noticed something was missing._

"_Father, where is the flower girl and the boy who carries the rings?" She asked the cat._

"_Woman, it is brutal to be ripping off petals off those poor flowers," he murmured. _

_He paused, suddenly shaking a little as if he might have a fit._

"_How would you feel if you had someone tear off your limbs?"_

"_It would…be agonizing…" Sakaki replied timidly._

"_And that is why we have no flower girl."_

"_I see, but where is the carrier of the rings?" Sakaki asked._

"_In the land of Mordor," the cat said seriously._

_Sakaki did not understand any of this, and suddenly, I was already standing before her._

_I smiled at her from under the veil, she returned it._

_The cat bowed and set down a phone book, raising his sticks-for-arms upwards. Sakaki noticed how, for the first time, he had a priest robe on._

"_All right, we are all packed inside together for the partnership of two young females, Bride Kagura and Groom Sakaki."_

_The organ played on, drowning out his voice and in an instant, he got very furious, turning all shades of colors as he shook._

"_OSAKA! DID I NOT TELL YOU TO STOP PLAYING?"_

_Osaka winced then pointed. "But sir, you didn't!"_

_The cat quickly calmed. "Ah, my mistake, you may resume."_

_So the music continued but the cat seemed unaffected as he continued on with his lines for Sakaki and me._

"…_in the homeless poor and filthy rich…sickly sickness and healthy health…till do death and divorce do you part…" he murmured. "Do you accept to be her partner?"_

"_I do." I said._

"_And YOU, do you accept to be her partner?"_

"_I do," Sakaki nodded._

"_Very well," the cat closed the book. "If there are any objections to them being in matrimony, speak now or I shall make you..."_

_There was silence._

"_All right then," the cat bowed. "I warned you."_

_Immediately, the doors burst open and here was Sakaki's mother, stomping down the corridor._

"_I object!" She yelled, yet her cool voice remained, pointing out at Sakaki._

"_Mother…" Sakaki gasped. "…Why?"_

"_You know full well why," she frowned, her glasses glaring with light. "You must stay home. You are not to go off eloping with young girls under my nose."_

"_But Mother!" Sakaki pleaded. "I love Kagura!"_

"_Do you not remember my words?" her mother shouted. "Do you not?"_

"_But…"_

"_That is enough, I am taking you home," her mother turned away._

"_No, I won't!"_

_It was growing dimmer…darker…her mother seemed to be growing…_

"_Sakaki…why are you leaving me?"_

_Sakaki turned to me, whose face was hurt. _

"_I wouldn't leave you, never!" Sakaki gasped. "Please trust me, it's my mother-"_

"_Why didn't you tell me Sakaki?" I said, I was fading away._

"_No, don't go Kagura!" Sakaki screamed, vainly reaching out after me. "Come back!"_

_And there her mother towered over her like a giantess, her glasses glinting menacingly._

"_See what I've said?" she spoke, her voice colder than ever. "Now, I will take you home where you will never be distracted ever again…Never…"_

"_NO! I am not going!" Sakaki protested firmly._

"_Then you leave me no choice!" Her mother straightened herself and pointed at the shadow below Sakaki. "If you cannot abide my rules and responsibilities, then why should I keep you around? Good bye, daughter…"_

_Sakaki now fell, she was falling through darkness…falling…When would it ever end?_

_My words and her mother's words echoed all around her as she fell for what seemed like all eternity…_

_And there was a golden light…a new yet familiar voice…_

"_Dreams do come true."_

And Sakaki woke, panting and slicked with sweat. It took few seconds before she relaxed, her chest still thumping with the after-effects of her nightmare. She took deep breaths then turned her head to my side, I was still sleeping.

Sakaki sat up, she was shaking all over. No matter how hard she tried to push it out of her mind, the awful echoes remained in her head. She whimpered then looked back to me. Still shaking, she cuddled as close as she could to my body.

In my sleep, I had muttered "Oh, it's cold."

Sakaki didn't mind, she wanted my comfort even if I wasn't awake. She rested her head on my shoulder.

"Don't forget our promise," she whispered.

It was a long while before she finally got back to sleep.


	13. The Year Begins

Together Always

The Year Begins

Author's Note: The holidays are over, after the New Year traditions, it's back to studying exams and getting prepared as the final three months draw to a close.

Meanwhile, Sakaki and Kagura face few worries of their own…

Oh yes and yay for manga references in this one - based on the New Year's strips

* * *

I awoke to the steady beeping of my bedside clock, signaling the first morning of the new year. I could feel Sakaki's gentle breaths down my neck as she dozed, her warm body very close to mine. Carefully, I turned over to her and patted her arm.

"Sakaki, hey Sakaki," I whispered. "It's the new year. We have to meet with others at the shrine."

She stirred, raising her head then stretched her arms. "Oh…right…"

I gave her a kiss then we climbed out of the bed to get dressed.

"So, did you have any dreams?" I asked as I pulled on a new shirt. I was interested to hear if Sakaki had one similar to mine.

"Hm?" Sakaki glanced over to me then lowered her head. "Oh…yeah…"

"Really?" I leaned towards her. "So did I! What were they like?"

"They…were okay…" she mumbled.

"Okay…" I stepped back, scratching my jaw uncertainly. "…Same with mine…"

"I see…' she nodded slowly. It was clear she wanted to get off the subject, so I suggested to head downstairs.

As we made our way downstairs, my dad greeted us at the bottom and was already wearing his jacket.

"Good morning girls," he grinned. "Are you ready to go? I've already toasted some bagels, so you can eat on the way."

"Thanks Dad," I took one, taking a bite.

"So I hear you gave my daughter a ring?" My dad turned to Sakaki, who was now tugging her coat on.

"Oh?" She looked up then blushed shyly. "Oh…y-yes…I-I love her…"

"Ah, I'm so happy for you two!" he chortled, putting an arm around Sakaki's neck, causing her to stoop down. "So, does that means I'm your official father-in-law now?"

"Uh…" Sakaki stammered. "I…"

"Oh, Dad!" I sighed. "Don't bother her!"

"Hey," he let go, "you know, if you're ever in a fix, you can count on us!"

"…Don't promote to her either…" I muttered. "Sakaki, you don't have to take him seriously."

Sakaki just nodded quietly. "Uh-uh…"

"Oh right, it's bit chilly out," my dad muttered as he peered through one of the windows, "so you probably should wear a scarf."

Sakaki blushed, rubbing her bare neck.

"Dad!" This was so embarrassing!

"Hey," my dad replied, taking out a red scarf from the hall closet. "You're not the only one I'm looking out for now, you know."

He then handed it over to her. "There you go."

"…Thank you…" Sakaki took it.

Once she had it properly wrapped it around her neck, I noticed how sweetly adorable it really was on her.

"Wow, it makes you look so cute," I commented. She stared at me then giggled, hiding her smile with her scarf.

"So, we all good to go?" my dad asked as he opened the door.

We responded with an affirmative then followed him out into the early morning weather, our destination being the shrine. It would be a long walk, but we didn't mind that; the outings were always pleasurable. As I walked beside Sakaki, I inhaled the nice crisp air then looked at my new ring.

_Sakaki…_I smiled.

I leaned onto her, wrapping my arms around her waist so she could feel my warmth. She slid an arm around my shoulders in response, hugging us close.

"We're here," my dad announced, stopping in front of a crowd leading up the stone steps. "I'll leave you two to find your friends. I'll see you later, and best of New Year's wishes to you Sakaki!"

"Oh…you too," Sakaki bowed back to him. He waved us off before he left.

"Well, we'd better find them," I said as I separated from Sakaki. She nodded, and soon we entered the mass.

Not too long after, we found them…Or rather, they found us…

"Hi ,Kagura! Sakaki!" Chiyo gasped as she collided with us, followed by Osaka and Tomo and Yomi in the back. "Happy New Year's!"

"The same to you," I greeted her with a grin. "How'd you find us?"

"Easy!" Tomo chortled. "It's not hard to miss a tall gal like Sakaki in a busy crowd!"

I looked at Sakaki – she obviously towered over us all. "…Good point…"

After we greeted everyone, we pushed our way through the crowd.

"Wow, there sure are lot of people here, huh?" Chiyo said nervously after a bit.

"Oh, man!" Osaka suddenly shouted. "At this rate, we'll get separated!"

"Very well, we'll decide on a meeting place!" Tomo raised a finger then pointed at Sakaki. "If you get lost, just gather 'round Sakaki!"

Sakaki sighed while I couldn't help but giggle.

"Got it," I smiled as I took her hand.

"So, did you have any New Year's dreams?" Chiyo asked curiously after we had tossed some coins for our wishes (you can guess what mine was).

"Oh, yeah," I nodded.

"How about you Sakaki?" Chiyo tilted her head.

"Oh…" Sakaki glanced at her then looked down. "…Yeah…"

This was the same reaction she had when I asked her about it earlier. It gave me concern. "…Sakaki?"

Before I could say more, Chiyo exclaimed. "Oh, pigeons!"

We turned to see a flock of gray, chubby birds fluttering across the ground, pecking at invisible crumbs.

"I'm going to get some bird food!" Chiyo smiled, pointing to a box in the distance as she ran towards it.

I watched as the pigeons let out soft coos, some grooming their wings and flapping them. My mind was immediately brought to Mayaa that other day where he had leaped at stray sparrows in Chiyo's front yard. Believing Sakaki could use for a cheer-up, I elbowed her arm gently.

"Hey, we should've brought Mayaa. I bet he would've had fun!"

"Uh…maybe…" Sakaki blushed.

"Hah, those pigeons are so dumb, they wouldn't even know what hit them!" I added with a laugh, remembering all too well how successfully Mayaa had nabbed one of them in midair at one point…

Sakaki looked at me in mild shock. Err, that didn't really help…

"Um…" I looked away shyly then charged at them. "BWAH!"

The pigeons squawked and took flight as I ran across, and I was soon followed by a hysterical Tomo.

Sakaki stared after me then sighed, shaking her head. _Oh Kagura…_

She then heard a commotion close by, and she turned to see Yomi calling out Chiyo's name. Chiyo had been swarmed by pigeons…

"Ah, Chiyo!" Sakaki gasped then ran towards, flailing her arms. "Shoo, birds, shoo!"

She rescued Chiyo from inside the flock, picking her up in her arms.

"Are you okay, Chiyo?"

"Hah…I think they liked it…a bit too much…" Chiyo replied dazedly, holding up a torn bag of seeds.

The birds just cooed, flapping their wings once more.

After my run, I noticed something interesting off to the side. After registering what it was for, I called to Tomo beside me. "Hey, let's go get an _omikuji_!"

"Ooh, feel like having our fortunes told, eh?" Tomo chuckled. "Let's go!"

We set off and the results were…

"Mine says 'moderately lucky'!" I noted, holding out my paper strip.

"Ooh," Sakaki looked over my shoulder at it.

"Ah…" Tomo checked hers. "'Ill-fated'!"

"ILL-FATED?" I exclaimed as Chiyo cried out. "WHAT?"

"Um…yeah…" Tomo frowned.

"Whoa," I breathed.

Osaka grabbed it and looked it over. "Wow, way to go, Tomo!"

Yomi looked at it as well. "I've never even seen one of these…"

"…Ill-fated…" Tomo repeated softly.

"Man, sucks for you Tomo," I said honestly.

"Oh man!" Tomo moaned, taking her strip back. "Now what? What am I supposed to do with this? Tie it to a tree or something?"

"Well, I did hear that if you tie it to a tree branch, the _omikuji_ will be blessed, and the bad luck will disappear…" Chiyo informed.

"I'm tyin' it then!" Tomo gasped.

"But," Chiyo added. "I've also heard that tying it to a tree will make what's written on it come true."

"WHAT?" Tomo shouted. "That's no help at all!"

She then looked around worriedly. "Oh, man…what should I do? WHAT SHOULD I DO??"

"I wouldn't worry about it…" Yomi muttered. "You're doomed anyway…"

"Oh, man…" Tomo whined.

I exhaled then turned to Sakaki. "Well, I think we're done here – let's go home."

We all then left the crowd, Tomo still griping about her fortune on the way out. During our walk, we noticed there was a heavy traffic out on the road. In one of the cars we spotted two familiar faces…

"Whoa!" Tomo stepped forward. "It's Nyamo and Yukari!"

She then looked back at us with a grin which we all knew too well. "They're trapped, let's get them!"

She then charged at the car, I couldn't help it, so I followed, the same with Osaka behind me.

She tapped the window which caused Yukari to look at us and we broke into a chorus of "Happy New Year's!"

Our teacher stared for a moment then rolled down the window. "Hmm?"

"How 'bout spreading that holiday cheer and givin' me some change?" Tomo asked.

Yukari blinked then turned away, rolling the window back up.

"Wha-?" Tomo gasped then promptly yelled. "Yukari, you big Scrooge!"

"Scrooge!" Osaka mimicked.

"Scrooge!" I laughed, caught up in the excitement.

However that was a mistake…before we knew it, Yukari had slammed the car door open and ran at us like an angry bull.

"Run!" Tomo yelled and we fled. I hid behind Sakaki from Yukari's wrath, hugging her around her waist. Sakaki blushed at this. "Err…"

After Yukari had worn herself out from chasing Tomo and Osaka, she turned to us panting. "Ugh…"

"Oh, Miss Yukari," Chiyo politely bowed. "Happy New Year!"

"…Not too bright are you?" Yukari mumbled.

"What do you mean?" Yomi raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't you hear?" Yukari crossed her arms. "This good luck's a dud. The shrine owner's own son _failed_ his entrance exam."

"WHAT??" we all yelled out except for Sakaki, being the quiet type, of course.

"But please," Yukari chuckled as she returned to the car. "Do feel free to pray all you like!"

"And you call yourself our teacher?" Tomo said.

The car honked, the traffic was moving.

"I should get back now," Yukari sighed.

As Yukari climbed back in, I noticed Tomo hand her a piece of paper before they drove off.

"What was that?" I asked curiously.

"Nothing," Tomo shrugged, smiling innocently.

"Okay…" I then looked at others. "So…what Yukari said…we still have to study hard, don't we?"

"Um, yeah…" Yomi replied.

I groaned. "I should've known…"

Meanwhile Sakaki was lost in thought, gazing at the cloudy sky where a couple of white birds flew across.

"…"

--

And so we went to studying. Chiyo's place was always the place to prepare for our upcoming first exam…the Center Test. However, today was different, for we weren't at Chiyo's house but at mine. Just me and Sakaki...

I had suggested we look over our notes there instead – just us two – and Sakaki (reluctantly) accepted. While we were here, I also thought it'd be good to get in some nice chit-chat with no disturbances…

"Hey Sakaki," I said as I put down my notebook. "Can you come over here for a second?"

"Hmm?" she looked up then put away her papers. "Okay…"

She crawled over to me where I greeted her with a kiss to the lips.

"Mm…" she returned the favor. "Is this why you called me over? To make out with me?"

I giggled.

"Yes and no," I sighed, kissing her again on her cheek this time. "Actually, I want to talk a bit with you."

She paused, staring at me for a moment.

"…Ok…" she scooted up, sitting next to me. "What about?"

"The usual stuff," I shrugged. "You know, school, the future and all that…"

I circled the carpet with my finger. "I hear you're going to try for a vet-veter…pet doctor school…"

Sakaki blushed, smiling softly. "Yes…I want to be a veterinarian…I want to help animals…"

I smiled. "I know you'll make it."

"I hope…" she sighed. "What do you want to do?"

"Well…" I leaned back. "I'm willing to get accepted into any good college that has a great sports education program, you know? I might even consider being a teacher like Miss Kurosawa..."

"Really?" Sakaki cocked her head.

"Um…yeah…" I could feel my face grow hot. "Y-yeah…She's so nice and such a good teacher…I-I'd like to be the same…I like being with people and helping out like she does…"

Sakaki smiled then kissed me tenderly, making me feel even warmer.

After she pulled away, she sighed. "I know you will."

"Oh, Sakaki…"

We then embraced each other, sharing our kisses more passionately. But…something was bothering me…

"Sakaki," I pulled away. "Will we still be able to see each other?"

"What do you mean?" Sakaki asked.

"Well…I'm just saying…" I exhaled deeply, not looking at her. "What if our colleges are too far apart? What if we can hardly see or talk to each other? What if we can't at all? W-what if we f-forget…"

Suddenly, Sakaki clutched my arms tightly. "S-Sakaki?"

"That will _never_ happen." she said firmly. "Don't talk like that Kagura. Please. We _will_ stay together."

"But…"

"If it comes to be, I'll visit, I'll do anything, every single week, every day, I promise," Sakaki continued determinedly. "I love you, Kagura."

"Oh…" I sighed, this made feel so much better. "I love you, Sakaki…"

And thus begun another of our deepest kisses, Sakaki lowered me to the floor as we locked lips, my hands roaming her back while hers did the same.

"Ahem!" a voice coughed suddenly. "Not in the living room, girls!"

We separated with reddened faces, looking over to the hall where my dad stood.

"Next time, use your room," he added before walking out of sight. "And when I'm not home, either."

We broke into nervous giggles. After a few moments, I finally remembered something.

"Hey, Sakaki," I began as I faced her. "You know, I've never met your mom…"

Sakaki stiffened. "Y-yeah?"

"So…since you've met my dad and all…" I shrugged. "I think it's fitting I do the same…"

"Uh…" Sakaki stammered.

"Do you think I could come over to your place, study, and meet her and all?" I looked at her expectantly. "I'm interested to see your home, and your mom must be a nice person. After all, she does know about us, right?"

Sakaki twitched. "Yeah…"

"So it's settled? I can come over?" I smiled.

"Yeah…" Sakaki nodded.

"Oh wow!" I hugged her then stood up. "I can't wait!"

I then left the room to tell my dad the news, leaving Sakaki sitting alone.

Sakaki stared off into space as if she could not believe what had just happened, then she raised her hands to her head.

_Oh God, what have I done?_


	14. The Storm

Together Always

The Storm

Author's Note: It's February, the girls have taken their Center Test and are prepared for more exams to come, to find their colleges. It is also about the time Kagura gets to meet Sakaki's mother…

The dramatic climax is ready to unveil itself, read on and find out what happens!

(Warning: Slight Language)

* * *

_What to do…what to do…_

Sakaki paced back and forth anxiously in her bedroom. She then looked out of her window – the sky was filled with dark gray clouds. Even the weather didn't seem to agree with her today. She exhaled and sat down on her bed, rubbing her head as if she had a headache.

For the past few days, before and after the Center Test, I had been pressuring her to invite me over to her place. Sakaki, however, had eluded the requests with excuses and even avoided me. Despite that, I would not give it up, no matter what, and she knew it.

She could not put this off any longer. She would have to get this over with not sooner or later, but _now_. She had finally decided to invite me over today, this late afternoon, to be precise. She prayed it would all go well, that questions weren't asked, and there was no trouble. But the grim clouds outside weren't very reassuring, Sakaki was feeling very uneasy about this whole visit.

She was nervous about her mother's reaction – What would she be like towards a newcomer inside their house...and her girlfriend nonetheless?

Sakaki groaned in frustration, falling back onto her bed.

At the very least, she should tell her mother so she would know who she was to expect later. Hopefully then, her mother might not be too upset about it.

Sakaki got up, having made up her mind. _I'll tell her everything..._

She was not afraid, she _could _do this. What did it matter what her mother thought? At least she would be telling her true feelings. Sakaki stepped down the stairs confidently, prepared to face her parent.

However, at the moment she stepped into the kitchen, where her mother was writing out a grocery list, Sakaki immediately lost all the confidence she had. The _mere_ presence of her mother had always struck her as powerful; that always made Sakaki feel that if she dared do so much as to disturb her for anything, she would be in for hell to pay. This was a very, _very_ personal matter, too. What if her mother got very upset? Still, Sakaki had to try.

"Um…Mother?" she asked, ignoring how really warm it was inside.

"Yes daughter?" her mother looked up.

"Um…I have to…t-tell you s-something…" Sakaki gulped. Why was it so hot?

"Are you all right?" her mother suddenly asked concernedly. "You don't look very well…"

"What?" Sakaki replied distractedly. "Oh yeah…I-I'm fine…b-but…" How could her mother stand the heat with that black turtleneck on?

"Daughter," her mother sighed, putting the list into her purse. "If you want to tell me something, you'll have to wait until I return. I have to go shopping."

"But…" Sakaki hesitated. "I have to tell you now…"

"Taira, it can wait," her mother said, now pulling on a black overcoat.

"But I-I-I…" Sakaki stuttered.

"Since you've been doing so well," her mother put a hand on her shoulder, Sakaki froze. "I'm buying you your favorite cookies."

Sakaki couldn't help but blush at this. "But I…"

"I'm leaving now, take care and do study, okay?" Her mother stepped up to the door. "I'll be back soon."

"But I-!" Sakaki called out but her mother had already left. _No!_

She grabbed her hair and mentally cursed. _Shit…what now?_

She checked the clock in the living room; I would be arriving shortly enough...just when her mother decided to leave! How was Sakaki to explain my presence by the time she came back? What about my relationship with her? It would be much harder to explain it with me around since Sakaki not only had to worry about her mother, but me as well. What if there was hostility between her and me during our first encounter?

Sakaki sighed deeply. Well, she hoped she would be able to get her words in before we had a chance to say anything.

She jumped when the doorbell rang; she had been so deep in thought, she'd forgotten her sense of reality.

Her heart thumping rapidly, she went towards the door and shakily opened it up. On the steps was me, beaming at her. For too long, Sakaki had denied my requests to come over, but today she had given in and so I was excited to see her house and finally meet her mother.

"Hey Sakaki!" I greeted, kissing her.

"Uh…" Sakaki pulled away. "Y-yeah, hi Kagura…Want to sit in the living room?"

"Sure," I nodded then looked around the hall. It was spacious, but not as big as Chiyo's house, and it was very neat looking. "So, where's your mother?"

"Uh…uh…she's out…" Sakaki stammered, peering out the narrow window beside the door.

I sat on the soft white carpet beside the glass table, admiring the living room. "You have a very nice house…"

"Uh…thank you…" Sakaki sat down next to me. "Uh…let's study…"

"Okay."

She picked up her notebook as I got mine, but she seemed bothered by something. Instead of focusing on her notes, she spent her time twiddling her pencil as she chewed the ends of her hair. I watched for a moment then tapped her shoulder. "Sakaki?"

"W-what?" She glanced sideways before seeing me. "What Kagura?"

"Are you having the test jitters?" I asked, it seemed like a plausible thing whatnot with all those looming exams.

"Uh…w-well…"

But then again…I'd never seen her so nervous for a test before…or anything else, actually. What was the problem?

"Sakaki?" I asked again. "Is there a problem?"

"Ohononononono…" Sakaki shook her head. "It must be the tests…y-yeah that's it…y-yeah…yeah…"

"Hrm…" I didn't trust that and decided I'd better get her mind on something else. I pushed away the notebooks and crept onto Sakaki's lap. "Sakaki, maybe we better do something else…"

"Wha-?" Sakaki started but was cut off by my kiss. "Mm…"

Then she tried to push me off. "No, no…I can't, my mother…"

"Sakaki, she's not here, is she?" I sighed. "There's no worries, right?"

"But I…" Sakaki began but again I was kissing her, so all she could do was to return the favor. "Mmm…"

_Maybe it won't be too bad…We could stop if we hear a noise or something…_

She then pulled me in close, deeply immersed in our kiss.

Meanwhile, the sound of humming engine echoed through the neighborhood as a familiar shiny black car drove down the street. The rain began to fall.

As the raindrops pelted the window, Sakaki was on top of me, still kissing more passionately.

Two glowing white orbs loomed in the darkness of the thundering rain, a gray cat ran aside to avoid the incoming car.

"Kagura…" Sakaki sighed, taking my hand. "I love you so much…" And thus we resumed.

The car came to a stop onto a driveway and a tall woman stepped out. A thunderclap sounded in the distance.

"Sakaki…" I giggled as we sat up, Sakaki still pecking at my face. "Maybe we should go back to studying…"

"No, no, let's continue…" Sakaki embraced my shoulders, planting another kiss on my cheek.

"Okay, if you say so."

The woman soon reached the door, inching it open. Lightning streaked across the dark sky, followed by another thunder.

"Mm, Sakaki…" I sighed, kissing her once again.

She smiled, leaning forward. It was our last kiss for now because at that moment, she had frozen in shock, and I heard a clatter of cans behind us.

"Mother…" she whispered.

I turned around to see her mother standing in the doorway – paper bags at her feet where food had scattered out, snack boxes and fruits in a disarray.

For a long time, I always had thought there was no one else who could be taller than Sakaki, but here was her mother and – I must add – she looked quite scary. Especially how her face looked right now, it was of outright rage.

Suddenly, I got the feeling something was very, very wrong here. Sakaki was at loss for words, stumbling how to explain my presence, and her mother trembling in the hall as if she might explode any moment.

Then the truth was revealed.

"Who is this girl?" Sakaki's mother asked, her voice shaking. "Who is she?"

"I..I…" Sakaki stammered. "S-she's…"

"I want her out now!" Her mother pointed to the door. "Out!"

Immediately I took this as a cue to gather up my notebooks and grab my jacket. I hurried over to the hallway, keeping my distance from her then I looked back at Sakaki who still sat on the living room carpet. She looked very sorry to have had this happen.

"Sakaki…"

"Out!" her mother yelled after me.

"Okay, I'm going!" I stumbled outside, slipping into a mud puddle in the drenching rain. "Ow…"

--

Sakaki curled up against the sofa protectively as her mother stomped towards her, fuming with anger.

"Go upstairs…" her mother stood before her, "…_now_!"

She looked so terrifying with her loose black hair over her face and her glasses slipping down that Sakaki had to comply.

She darted upstairs into her bedroom, hugging one of her pillows tightly as she jumped onto her bed and waited.

Eventually, her mother stepped inside and shut the door behind her. Sakaki wanted to scream 'I'm sorry!', but her words were stuck back in her throat, so she buried her face into her pillow instead.

A pause of silence followed then her mother spoke up, very firmly. "Tell me…who was the girl? A-and…why did I-I see y-you…you…?"

"Kagura," Sakaki replied very quietly.

"What?"

"Kagura," Sakaki repeated, louder this time. "She's my friend a-and…and…"

"Yes?" her mother nodded.

"S-she's my…l-lover…" Sakaki added timidly. "I-I…love her…"

Her mother was silent. Sakaki straightened up.

"I love her, Mother," Sakaki sighed. "I really do, I love Kagura…"

She gulped, nervous of how her mother would react. Her mother stood there, saying nothing. Then she stepped over to Sakaki's dresser, looking away.

"I want you to leave."

Sakaki blinked. What?

"M-Mother?" she asked.

"I want you to get…out…now…" Her mother faced her, and Sakaki shrank back from her once more blazing fury. "Now!"

"M-Mother…" Sakaki gasped. She couldn't…

"OUT!" Her mother swept her hands across the dresser, knocking down Sakaki's stuffed animals and picture frame to the floor. Sakaki yelped, hiding her face in her pillow again. She heard and felt her mother slam the door. If she perhaps had waited just a bit longer, her mother might have returned and all would have been talked over, problem solved. Sakaki was frightened, however; she ran.

She grabbed a suitcase from the closet and packed her school bag into it along with many of her clothes and the stuffed cat I had given to her for Christmas. She then dragged it out past her mother's office. She paused for a moment, watching the closed door, then she went downstairs.

Out into the rainy night, she ran, her feet splashing down the wet road. She kept running and running until she couldn't anymore. As she collapsed onto her knees, she lost it, for the first time she lost it. She cried.

_Why?! What do I do now?! Where am I to go?!_

--

I was alerted to a doorbell ring and came running down as my dad opened up the door. Somehow, I felt this had to happen.

In the pouring rain, Sakaki stood there with her suitcase. She was still crying.

"Oh Sakaki…" I hugged her soaked body tightly.

It was just what Sakaki wanted, my warmth and comfort.

"Kagura, I'm sorry…" She whispered.

"It's all right," I replied. "I still love you."

The storm continued to rage outside.


	15. March

Together Always

March

Author's Note: It's the month of March, we now follow through with Sakaki and Kagura's events after the run from Amaya and before the graduation. It's a month of comfort, birthdays, and special news.

Also, a reference back to one of my favorite Azumanga comic strips ever

I feel bit weird about some parts though but that's just me

Warning: Possible slight sensuality

* * *

When Sakaki awoke, she immediately knew it was different. The bed was different, the room was different, everything was different. Sakaki could never head back home now; she would have to stay here and get used to her new life with us.

She sat up in her bed, sighing.

She always had enjoyed staying over before, but something about her stay being permanent didn't ease her mind somewhat.

Sakaki then reached into her white T-shirt and pulled out a gold locket, fiddling with it gently.

Perhaps it was because she lived in that other home all her life – she had practically grown up in it. Her mother hadn't always been so uptight…

She heard the door click and put away her locket quickly as I stepped inside.

"Hey Sakaki, here's your breakfast," I said as I carried in a tray containing a plate of scrambled eggs with buttered toast. "Here."

She straightened up while I set the tray down on her lap.

I sat down beside her. "Dad made it, so it's all good."

Sakaki said nothing, prodding at the eggs with her fork then she put it away. "I…don't think I'm very hungry…"

"But, Sakaki, you need to eat," I leaned over to her.

"I know…" she sighed. "I-it's j-just t-that…that…"

I sensed she was about to cry again, her chest heaved with her sobbing gasps then she let out a wail. I hugged her close, allowing her to weep into my shoulder. It had been like this last night, she had kept crying until she finally fell asleep out of exhaustion. But I had remained awake, I had held her and comforted her. I had no desire to let go of her.

After a good few minutes, her sobs subsided and she tugged at my tear-soaked shirt-sleeve.

"Oh…I'm so sorry about your shirt…" Sakaki sniffed.

"It's okay," I sighed. "Look, why don't you rest a bit? I'll take back the eggs."

But before I could, Sakaki sat up suddenly. "No, I'll eat them."

"But, they're cold-" I started but she had already grabbed the plate, gobbling down the eggs. That was new, I'd never seen Sakaki eat so fast, she was too polite for that but I suppose it was to do with her mood.

"Thank you," she replied after she had finished, handing back the now-empty plate.

"No problem," I nodded. "I'll send the compliments back to the err…chef."

My dad was pleased that Sakaki had accepted the food but was concerned for her latest eating habits.

"Eating that fast?" he muttered. "That can't be very good for the stomach."

"I know Dad," I sighed. "But she's upset."

"I understand," he nodded. "I would advise you don't rush her into getting better. Just be there for her, ok?"

"I always will," was my truthful response.

I returned upstairs to see that Sakaki was still in bed, her back to the door. I sat beside her and raised a hand to reassure her, massaging her back shoulders.

Morning soon grew into afternoon and Sakaki still hadn't come down, even for lunch. I was getting worried for her. I had to get her out, do something with her. I couldn't just let her mope like this forever.

I finally decided to go back into my room, walked over to my bed, and patted Sakaki gently on her arm. "Hey, get up. Let's do something...How about we play a game?"

I gestured towards my TV and Playstation 2 in the corner, she took a look and shook her head. "No…I don't like video games very much…"

"Oh…um…" I thought of what else we could. "How about studying?"

"What's the point?" Sakaki replied gloomily, rolling over.

I frowned. This wouldn't do. I needed to get her mind on the positive and quick. It might not completely snap her out of it but it wouldn't hurt to try.

"Look Sakaki," I exhaled, climbing over so she would see me. "You shouldn't be moping like this, I mean, you've got your great life ahead of you, and…It's also putting me down, it's not good for us...for you."

Sakaki just stared at me.

"Hey look! Look on the positive side!" I said, stepping off the bed, spreading my arms exuberantly. "You're out here, you're free, you can live your life and dreams the way you want it! You can do anything!"

I paused then quietly added. "To certain limits, of course…"

Sakaki watched me wide-eyed. I was right, after all. She was free – free from her mother's control…

"You're right…" she replied as she stood up. "I am free, I can do anything I want now…I can do it…"

"That's right Sakaki!" I smiled.

But…the way her mother had blazed…kicked her out of her own home she'd lived her whole life in…Her mother probably never wanted to see her again…

I saw Sakaki was tearing up and fell silent.

"I-it still hurts…" she whimpered.

"Oh Sakaki," I hugged her.

--

Life continued. Sakaki was out and moving about instead of staying in bed all day, but she still had her moments of gloom, sometimes she wished to be alone. She either ate her meals quickly in order to get away on her own or hardly ate at all. My interactions with her were limited to hugs and words of confidence. I couldn't remember the last time I'd really kissed her or seen her smile.

School was the same, but Sakaki had a harder time focusing on her notes and homework For first time ever, it was my turn to take full attention so I could help her out after school. It wasn't easy, but I did it. Sakaki was grateful for it, but even so, it was still difficult studying at home. She was also quieter and kept to herself, but the students and some of our friends used to this behavior of hers didn't notice too much. But it did still concern me and Chiyo.

And that wasn't all – she was having bad dreams too. Every now and then, it happened, and I always woke up to comfort her. Whenever I asked if she wanted to talk about it, she left to the bathroom instead where I would hear the shower running.

On a nice morning during a weekend, I decided to take Sakaki out for a walk and continue it from there. Perhaps then, with all the walks, Sakaki might start relaxing more and return to her normal self – clear her mind of all those negative thoughts. It would be healthy for us, at least. We needed it.

"Sakaki, get up," I whispered, shaking her awake gently. "It's a good day for a walk."

"Hmm…ok…" She stretched her arms as she rose. "Where to?"

"Just a walk," I shrugged. "Let's go."

We got dressed and headed outside, following the street down to the park. We said nothing for a while, yet we still held hands. Sakaki was lost in her own thoughts, and I felt it best not to disturb her.

We soon arrived at the park's entrance and went in. I saw the trees and grass were beginning to gain color, but they remained as dull as ever. We came upon our tree which we had used to sit near and talk a lot under its branches. But not anymore now, that was long time past. We left the bare tree and continued down the path.

Along the way, we met an unexpected visitor – Osaka. As we walked by, she spotted us and walked up to us, waving her hand.

"Hi Kagura! Sakaki!" she called.

We came to a stop, Sakaki finally snapping back to reality.

"Oh, hey Osaka!" I greeted her as she stood before us. "What brings you here?"

"Chiyo's birthday!" she replied.

"What?" Even Sakaki was surprised. We'd been so caught up in the past couple weeks, we'd forgotten about our Chiyo's birthday! "Um…when is that?"

"Uh…" Osaka thought for a moment. "Oh right, it's tomorrow!"

That was a even more of a shock, we couldn't even think what to say next.

"So," Osaka said, oblivious to our stuttering unbelief. "I'm off to her place to ask what she wants!"

"Uh…" I mumbled, blinking. "Good luck with that, and thanks for the heads-up."

"No problem," Osaka nodded and she passed us in the other direction.

We resumed our walk, thinking about Chiyo's birthday. What were we supposed to get her now?

"Sakaki, any ideas?" I asked her.

"Um…" Sakaki tapped her chin. "Oh!"

"…That doesn't involve a Necoconeco?" I added.

"Aw…" Sakaki sighed then shook her head. "No idea…"

Silently, we crossed the small bridge. A memory suddenly struck me…

"Sakaki?" I spoke up. "Do you remember last year?"

"Hmm?" Sakaki tilted her head.

"Last March?"

"Oh…oh!" Sakaki remembered. "We…made her a stuffed Necoconeco…"

"Yeah…" I chuckled. "That was way before I told you I loved you wasn't it?"

"Mm-hm," Sakaki nodded.

"Still…" I blushed slightly. "Even though you didn't know then, I did love you, and it really was fun making them together, wasn't it? We made them together at my place, remember? My dad wasn't home."

"Yes…"

"I still remember that day," I sighed.

_I was sitting in the living room, waiting for Sakaki to arrive. Since I had brought her into this somewhat, it was natural she should come over where we could make the cats together. But on Sakaki's part, she was to buy the supplies needed to make them._

_As I waited, I couldn't help but feel excited, yet nervous. I loved Sakaki. It would be the first time she had come to my place, the first time we would be alone together. As I thought over this, I wondered – Would it be a good time to tell her? Should I tell her I love her? _

_I never forgot the first time I laid my eyes on the amazing Sakaki, never forgot how often I had always thought of her, how I enjoyed being in her company…_

"_Hmm…" I leaned back in my couch seat. "I guess we'll see what happens…"_

_Suddenly, the doorbell rang and I hurried over to answer it. Standing in the doorway was Sakaki, carrying a bag of what would soon become our Necoconeco. I stared at her, she was so amazing…_

_Remembering where I was, I blushed and cleared my throat. "Um…come in."_

_She did so and we settled in the living room, I couldn't help staring at her as she emptied the bag._

_Should I tell her?_

_But I said nothing. When she glanced in my direction, I looked away and started work on my half of the plush. _

_Half an hour later, just as our cats were beginning to take form, my elbow bumped against hers. _

"_Oh sorry!" I blushed furiously, but she didn't seem to noticed._

_Then a thread stool was knocked onto the carpet, under the table._

"_Oh, I'll get it," I offered._

_But as I reached down, so did Sakaki and upon contact, I grabbed the thread while she grabbed my hand. On her touch, I felt my cheeks burn then looked her way. She said nothing, simply staring at me. For a moment, I thought we would kiss, but she let go and I picked it up instead._

"_Um…here…" I set it down on the table._

_We did not look at each other for the rest of the gift making, but the way we had connected our eyes earlier was still stuck in my mind. I wonder…_

_After we had completed our cats, she left with hardly a good-bye. I didn't even get a chance to tell her…_

_The next day, we met again to hand our gifts over to Chiyo. She was looking at me again. I felt better now that she wasn't going to ignore me, and we met with our friend._

_It was an interesting surprise for Chiyo when she opened up our presents._

_Oh well, at least we did put our drive and spirit into it, after all…_

"Man…I was such a lovesick fool," I giggled, recalling those shy moments I once had with Sakaki and the admiration of her.

"Mm-hm," Sakaki nodded, half-listening. We were walking again.

"You know, it makes me think…" I sighed. "Chiyo's been such a good friend to us, hasn't she?"

"Yes," Sakaki agreed.

"So, I think we should make her a really special present…"

"But what should we make her?" Sakaki asked.

I smiled. "I have just the idea…"

In an hour, we had called our friends over to my place to give a hand in making the best gift ever for Chiyo. Turned out, Tomo and Yomi hadn't known either and were just as surprised as us when they heard the news. Only Osaka had remembered, which was a first.

"So, what do you plan we make Chiyo?" Yomi asked as we sat in the living room.

"Do you have your photos?" I inquired and they held up their bags in response. "Good. Okay, here's the idea I had…"

I took out a light blue photo book and flipped open its blank pages.

"I had an idea, that since Chiyo's been such a good friend to us all," I began, "I thought it would be fitting if we made a scrap book out of our photos. You know, show the good times we had and the memories we shared…"

They all were listening intently.

"So she can see just how good friends we are, see that we'll always be friends together no matter what," I continued. "That we'll be friends for a very long time to come…Don't you want to show her that? If you do, then let's work on this together!"

There was a pause then Yomi spoke. "Yes, let's."

"Yeah, I'm in," Tomo joined in.

"Me too," Osaka smiled.

As they got out their pictures, I turned to Sakaki. I noticed she was on verge of breaking into tears. Uh oh...

"Sakaki?" I asked softly, ready to escort her into the kitchen if needed to be.

"I-I-I d-don't h-have my p-pictures…" she gasped. She had left them all at her home, unable to retrieve them.

"Oh…um…"

"Don't worry," Yomi said, the lifesaver, holding up a couple of photos. "I have some of you all, from the past summer trips and other stuff."

"Thanks a lot," I said as she handed them over then turned to Sakaki. "I have some of us too, so it's no problem."

"..Thank you…" she sighed.

"No problem, we're in this together," I smiled, holding her hand.

--

The next day, we arrived on Chiyo's doorstep with the present between us. When she opened the door, we exclaimed. "Happy Birthday Chiyo!"

"Oh!" she gasped. "Y-you did remember…"

"Hey, would we forget our best friend's birthday?" I patted her head.

"But…" Osaka started but we shushed her.

Chiyo giggled. "Well…come in!"

We entered inside and were greeted by a happy barking Tadakichi. Mayaa crawled under the dog and rubbed against Sakaki's legs, purring. Sakaki blushed then picked him up, cuddling him. I noticed her mood had greatly lightened for the rest of the small party upon Mayaa's hug.

"We have present for you too," I handed over the gift bag. "From all of us."

"Oh wow…" Chiyo took it then looked up at us. "This is such a surprise…um…I'm sorry I didn't have any sweets for us…"

"That's all right," Yomi help up a plastic bag. "I brought cupcakes."

"Wow, Yomi!" Chiyo replied. "That was really nice of you!"

"Gee, Yomi…stepping down from the diet, are we?" Tomo chuckled.

"Well…it is Chiyo's birthday after all…" Yomi muttered. "It can't hurt to celebrate a bit, can it?"

"Yeah, yeah. Excuses, excuses…" Tomo said dismissively, waving a hand.

Yomi just growled.

I sat beside Sakaki in the living room, munching on my chocolate cupcake. I then looked at her, she was looking positively cheerful with Mayaa on her lap. It made me think…

"Mm…Sakaki," I kissed her cheek.

"Hey, let's all sing 'Happy Birthday' to Chiyo before she opens the present!" Tomo declared, raising her glass of lemonade.

"Yeah!"

We broke into a chorus of 'Happy Birthday', and when we were finished, we cheered her on to open up her gift.

"Wow!" she gasped as she pulled out the book, skimming through its pages. "T-This is…"

"It's a scrapbook to recount all the good times we had as friends," I smiled. "It's our gift to you from us."

Chiyo couldn't say anything, she walked up to us. She hugged me first then Sakaki next then she hugged everyone else.

"T-Thank you all so much…" she sighed. "It's just the greatest gift ever."

"I knew it would be," I smiled.

--

Ever since the party and the continued walks in the park, Sakaki was becoming more relaxed and just being herself. She still turned somber whenever the topic of her home was brought up, however…or anything else that reminded her of it, for that matter. Her eating habits weren't fully normal, either. And the dreams just kept coming.

Sometime later on, when we had lived together for a long time, Sakaki finally told me what her nightmares involved:

_It was always dark, so dark you couldn't really see anything except for a film of light. _

_And I was alone, I always was. _

_Behind the light, there would always be some shouting and something breaking. I just couldn't take it, I dreaded going near that light. But I always did and when it got brighter and clearer, that's when I woke up._

One night, I was alerted to Sakaki shivering under the covers.

"Oh Sakaki," I slid an arm over her waist. "It'll be all right, I'm there…"

She sighed, then rolled over to me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

I wish you could tell me...

The next morning, I saw Sakaki had disappeared off to the bathroom once again. I sat up, stretching my arms. I just stayed there, sitting and waiting till she returned.

As I did, a thought struck me…

Oh, it should have been obvious!

Sakaki was never alone, she was with me at all times – in my bedroom, in my home, outside at the park, everywhere. Except in the bath.

I suppose I didn't consider it out of respect for her privacy…but it was clear she needed a companion even there.

Since I loved and trusted her, and she did the same in turn, I found no problem in doing this...

The door clicked open and Sakaki instinctively crossed her arms as she looked back. But it was just me, wrapped only in a white cotton towel.

"Um…hi…" I said as I shut the door behind me. "I hope you don't mind…"

"Oh…not at all…" Sakaki sat back, yet she couldn't hide a small blush.

I probably was bit shy about this too but I knew nothing would really happen, so I walked over to the wide bathtub and slipped in beside Sakaki.

"Well…" I sighed, unsure how to go about this. Do we just sit there? Wash? Do something?

I looked up to Sakaki; her hair had been tied up, it looked quite good actually.

"Wow, your hair looks pretty neat like that," I said.

"Oh!" She blushed. "Oh…um…t-thanks…"

Still, she was bit tense so I had to try another idea.

I flicked the flat water. "Hmm, it needs something…"

I reached out for a lavender bottle nearby and squeezed it then turned on the water. Within moments, the tub was filled with foamy bubbles; I turned off the water and scooted closer to Sakaki.

"There, that's better right?"

"Mm-hmm," Sakaki nodded.

She was still nervous though, so I looked around, thinking how to break the tension.

I tapped her shoulder and she looked.

"Pfft!" she slapped a hand over her mouth, holding back her giggles in vain.

I chuckled. My bubble beard had worked. I wiped it off then put a hand on Sakaki's arm.

She stiffened.

"Um-It's ok," I reassured, reaching to caress her back.

She eventually relaxed enough for me to slide another hand on her side. I looked up, she made no protest. I had another idea; it had to work.

I poked. I poked her side once then again then more till I had her in a fit of giggles.

"N-not…f-fair…" she gasped, powerless to defend herself.

"Hey, you're laughing," I smiled then kissed her, a real kiss on the lips. And she returned it.

After we pulled apart, she sighed. "Thank you, I needed that…"

"Mm, no problem," I hugged her.

It was then I felt her stomach, I leaned back. "Hmm? Have you always been this plump?"

She blushed pink. "Um…if I tell you, will you promise not to get upset?"

"It's all right," I replied. I'm just glad I got her into a good mood at last.

"Um…I've been having midnight snacks…"

"Midnight snacks?" I blinked then broke into a laugh. "Well, that does explains a lot!"

At least, she was actually eating well.

Sakaki watched for a moment then giggled.

Suddenly, I splashed her and she did the same in response. Soon, she tackled me as we burst into a hysteria of laughs.

It just kept getting better…

--

"I got accepted!"

"WHAT? You got in?" Tomo exclaimed, crawling out from under the table.

Sakaki smiled.

Just recently, I had found out I'd been accepted to go to Tokyo U. and a few other universities. I excitedly told my teachers about it before heading off to Chiyo's place to tell the news.

"Oh, congratulations!" Chiyo smiled, shaking my hands. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Heh…thanks…" I chuckled.

"Ah!" Tomo covered her eyes. "Kagura's positively glowing! It's like staring into the sun!"

Well, that might've been an exaggeration, but it was sure true. I really was so happy, I could just light up the day if it was possible.

But then I noticed how distraught Tomo looked and I realized something.

"You…er…didn't make it, huh?"

"I…I got this flabby little envelope…" she moaned. "A-and when I opened it up…it said I'd failed!"

She wailed then Chiyo stepped in.

"Don't worry!" She said encouragingly. "You still haven't heard from other schools, I'm sure you'll get in!"

"You swear?" Tomo asked. "You swear on your life?"

"I SWEAR!" Chiyo shouted.

"Um…that might be going bit far…" I chuckled weakly.

"Hey, guys!" Osaka suddenly appeared into Chiyo's room.

"Oh, Osaka!" Chiyo turned around.

"I got my results in mail…" Osaka said as she searched through her bag, "but I haven't looked at 'em yet…"

She then pulled out a flabby envelope. A flabby little envelope! Uh oh.

"I wonder what it says…" Osaka pondered, tearing it open carefully.

She pulled out a letter and read it, Chiyo peeked at it uncertainly. Then Osaka let out a wail.

I decided I'd better be supportive as well.

"Buck up Osaka!" I said. "There's still other schools left!"

"But this…" Osaka whimpered. "This was my fallback school…"

"Urk!" I turned away.

"Don't worry!" Chiyo once again called. "Everything will be all right!"

"Really?" Osaka faced her.

"I'd bet my life on it!" she yelled.

"Whoa, NOW that's pushing it…" I gulped.

As everyone settled back to studying, Sakaki walked over to me and kissed me.

"I'm happy for you…"

I smiled.

"Thanks, but you know what?" I sighed. "I think I'll wait a bit before I pick my choice, I want to know yours once your results come in…"

She frowned. Oh right.

"Yeah…b-but how would I know?" she sniffled. "I don't live there anymore…"

I hugged her.

"Don't worry, I'm sure somehow it'll work out for you…"

Believe it or not, but I was right.

In few days, her results arrived at our home, revealing she'd been accepted into few colleges, including one she had been really looking forward to. They had been forwarded from her former home address.

Sakaki cried for hours.


	16. Graduation

Together Always

The Graduation

Author's Note: First off, I want to thank you all so much for all your continued support for 'Together Always' - it really makes me happy. I love writing this story, it's great to hear you love it as well.

It is graduation time for the gang which would mean the end of their story. But oh no, our story continues for much longer…it is not over yet…

Oh and I do hope you remembered Kaorin.

* * *

"Kagura, Kagura?"

Sakaki awoke me with soft kisses on my face.

"Mm…Sakaki…" I sighed, reaching up to return them.

"Today's graduation day," Sakaki smiled.

"Oh wow, that's right!" I exclaimed quietly, sliding an arm over her torso. "Gosh…it only seems just like yesterday I first saw you at the pool…"

I nuzzled her neck then we locked lips. Only did we pull apart when my dad called from downstairs for us to get ready.

"There's my graduate!" he chortled as we came down. "You excited for the big day?"

"Sure am," I smiled as he hugged me.

Sakaki watched all this; happy as well, but…it made her sad that her mother wasn't around to see her off on this special occasion.

"Oh, Sakaki," my dad said as he let go. "Congratulations to you, too."

Sakaki just nodded, bowing her head. "Thank you…"

"I have something that'll cheer this morning up!" My dad grinned, gesturing towards to the kitchen where we could smell a pleasant and delicious aroma. "Pancakes!"

"Wow, this is awesome, Dad!" I sat at the table, followed by Sakaki sitting beside me.

"Yep," he said, setting down our plates. "Eat up; you've got an hour before you go off to school."

I drowned mine with maple syrup and chowed it down while Sakaki stared at hers. Her pancake had been made in the shape of a cat with whipped cream for its face and cherries for eyes. She blushed lightly then smiled, feeling better. _Thank you…_

After we had finished, I remembered something. I didn't like having to do this, but I didn't want to make Sakaki late.

"Sakaki?"

"Hmm?" she looked up from her school bag.

"Will you be fine going to the school by yourself?" I asked. "There's something I have to do with Dad first."

"Oh…" Sakaki lowered her head.

"I'm sorry, but I don't want you to be late," I kissed her.

"…Ok," she sighed, nodding.

"I'll catch up soon," I reassured as she made her leave. "Hmm…"

--

For first time since she came into our home, Sakaki was alone. It was a nice sunny day, but that didn't improve her mood on the walk to school.

She looked down at the sidewalk, wishing I was there beside her. Wishing for comfort.

Suddenly, she was alerted instinctively to a presence of a cat, and sure there he was, the familiar gray cat. He was resting on the fence, unaware of her until she came closer. As she did, he rose, hissing. Sakaki stopped.

It had been a long time since she had last seen that cat, but she remembered well how their encounters never turned out good. It didn't look like it'd be any different this time either.

Was this because he didn't appreciate her petting? Because he didn't like being touched without his say so?

Sakaki exhaled then faced the cat.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "Up until now, I've tried to pet you against your will."

She swallowed then left him behind, continuing her walk.

Not too long after, however, she heard a meow. She turned to see the cat stepping towards her.

He was actually following her? Did that mean he did want to be petted?

Sakaki blushed and crouched down, reaching out for him. But instead of staying still for her to pet him, he chomped down on her fingers. Sakaki winced as he ran off.

She then looked down at her bleeding hand, sighing.

This was not going to be a good day for her today.

--

I arrived at the school shortly after she did. The first thing I saw as I stepped into my classroom was Osaka lying back on a desk, attempting to take her eye drops. Next I saw Sakaki by herself at her usual seat beside the window.

"Hey Sakaki!" I greeted her. "Here I am!"

I noticed she was hiding her left hand in her arms. Sensing something was wrong, I asked her to show it. She refused, so I grabbed it, and she didn't pull away. On her knuckles I saw fresh cuts which must have come from a cat's bite.

"Oh Sakaki!" I sighed.

She didn't look at me, so I kissed her hand gently.

I glanced at the chalkboard. 'Congratulations Graduating Seniors!' had been written on it.

"It's still hard to believe…" I whispered softly. "…That we're graduating already…isn't it exciting?"

Sakaki just nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"Think…once we're out…" I said. "…We'll have a whole new world of experiences to face…"

Just then Yukari stepped into the classroom, calling out an order for us to get ready and line up for the graduation ceremony. We followed the rest of the students to the auditorium on the ground floor. As we made our entrance, I saw it was packed with every student in this school, joined by the teachers and parents. I saw my dad along them, waving at us. I smiled back at him then turned back to my group.

We took our seats, Sakaki naturally sitting beside me. I looked up at her, interlocking my fingers with hers.

The principal came up to the stand and began his speech on this year's graduating class - namely us. As he did, Osaka's funny little sneeze echoed throughout the hall. There was silence as the principal continued talking then the students began whispering.

Later on as a bespectacled boy came up on the stage to help hand out the diplomas, I heard Yomi and Tomo talking behind us. Tomo was rambling on about being the class representative, yet Yomi didn't seem to agree with that. Further into the conversation, I heard a shout followed by loud _thwack _by either girl hitting the other. Then a new voice joined in; it was Kaorin.

Suddenly, Tomo hit Sakaki over the head.

"Ow," she bent down then looked back confusedly as Kaorin had just screamed.

Then Tomo hit her again, repeatedly on her forehead. Kaorin wasn't finding this funny, and neither was I.

"Hey, quit that!" I snapped at Tomo whom immediately stopped on my outburst.

She stared then sat back down with Yomi. I looked back to Sakaki whom was clutching her head in pain.

"Oww…" she whimpered.

"Aw…" I sighed, caressing her bruised forehead tenderly.

Then I heard the principal announce Chiyo's name.

We turned to see Chiyo standing and walking towards the stage, she looked completely flustered. As she took her paper from him, Tomo jumped up and began clapping.

"Bravo!!"

Then Osaka stood up as well, clapping.

I chuckled and stood to join in followed by Sakaki. Soon the whole hall was filled with deafening echoes of the cheering crowd.

Chiyo looked as if she could just cry.

--

We returned to our homeroom and waited for our teacher to come back. Yukari soon appeared carrying the diplomas, but I noticed she looked really down. She slumped over to her desk and sighed deeply.

"M-Miss Yukari…" Chiyo whimpered, on verge of tears again.

"I lost my wallet…" Yukari moaned.

"What?"

"I should just hand out those stupid diplomas…" She said gloomily, picking up one.

"Hey! Way to spoil the mood!" Tomo shouted.

I heard a rustle of tissues and saw Osaka bring her tissue box over to the desk, setting it down. I saw she'd made it a donation box.

Yukari just stared at it then began calling us up by our names.

"Kagura…"

I wrestled with my skirt pockets and dropped in a 100 yen coin. "Ma'am."

Osaka was called up next, then Tomo. Suddenly, Yukari snapped.

"That's it!" she yelled angrily. "I don't need your chump change!"

"Wha-? What a wench!" exclaimed a girl student.

"Uh…" Yukari grabbed her stand. "In closing…I'd like to say…uh…"

"Yukari?"

We looked around to see Miss Kurosawa in the doorway, holding up a leather wallet.

"…Someone found your wallet…" she added.

Yukari gasped and snatched it, hardly believing it. Then she did a skip and promptly shouted out: "HEY EVERYONE! CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'RE GRADUATING!"

Boy…did she have her share of extreme mood swings…

"Well…" she slammed her hands onto her desk enthusiastically. "That's it, class dismissed!"

This would be a good time for my dad to come over with the 'thing' we prepared this morning. Indeed, he stopped by and passed it over before he left.

"Ma'am?" I said, carrying a bouquet of many various flowers. "This is from everyone…"

"Wow!" Yukari took it. "This is lot of flowers!"

"Yep," I nodded. "There's one for each student…"

Yukari just chuckled. "I wonder which one of you will be the first to wilt!"

"Eh?"

Soon, the class was beginning their leave; I encouraged Sakaki to go with our friends for pictures while I stayed behind. Looking over the desks; it brought back memories...

The day Sakaki and I really met…the vacations and festivals…the times we had spent together with our friends and just ourselves…

I touched my desk which I would no longer sit in. Yukari walked up beside me. I asked if I could take something as a souvenir, knowing it was a stupid question anyway.

"I wouldn't worry about that," she said. "You're already taking something back with you."

"Hmm?" I looked at her curiously.

"That's right," Yukari smiled. "The memories of your time with everyone!"

I gasped, I could feel the tears coming. "O-Oh…T-Thank you, Miss Yukari!!"

And I bawled, Yukari stepped back in surprise.

"Uh…what?" she replied, unsure what to do.

At that moment, Sakaki returned and hugged me. My crying soon subsided at just being in her arms.

"So…how did the pictures go?" I sighed, sniffling.

"Hmm…ok…" she shrugged.

Tomo called out for us to join her and the others so we did so.

--

Meanwhile, Kaorin went back to her homeroom after having gotten her picture with Sakaki. She prayed that idiot Tomo remembered to send in their photos.

Then Chihiro walked up to her, greeting her happily. Chihiro, her best and most trusted friend, was the only person Kaorin had ever told to of her ultimate crush on Sakaki.

"Isn't this great?" she smiled. "We're headed for the big leagues now – college!"

"Yeah…" Kaorin looked back, gazing dreamily at Sakaki standing in her group.

"Oh…right…" Chihiro frowned. "Have you told her yet?"

"Told her what?" Kaorin asked distractedly.

"You know…" her friend exhaled. "…your crush…"

"Uh…I-I d-don't know…" Kaorin stammered, glancing back. "I-I'm just not sure…"

"Kaorin, this could be the last time you'll ever see her," Chihiro said. "Do you really want to go on with the rest of your life, never knowing what would be her answer?"

"…No…" Kaorin looked down. "No, I don't…"

"Then go on, tell her," Chihiro stepped in closer.

"B-but I-I'm just so nervous…" Kaorin gulped.

"You can do it, go on, tell her!" Chihiro smiled encouragingly.

"B-but…w-what if she r-rejects…?"

"Well…" she put a hand on Kaorin's shoulder. "Life moves on…and I'll be there for you if that should happen…all right?"

"…All right."

"Then get going!" Chihiro pumped a fist. "Go tell her, now!"

"I will!" Kaorin nodded determinedly then she set off. "Wish me luck!"

"Good luck!" Chihiro waved after her.

--

After saying a final goodbye to Yukari, we had headed outside.

"We'll still stay together as always, right?" I sighed, taking Sakaki's hands.

"Mm," she nodded.

"Yeah!" Tomo said excitedly. "Because we're friends, we'll always be in touch!"

"Ah," Chiyo smiled, sighing.

I looked around then led Sakaki away from the crowd and to behind the nearby bushes where we could be assured of our privacy.

"Sakaki…" I reached up to kiss her.

--

Kaorin spotted us in the mass and followed after us. She was hoping that I would soon get out of the way so she could talk to Sakaki alone.

She got to achieve that…but not exactly the way she'd imagined it…

--

"AGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

We broke apart, alarmed by the sudden scream.

There was Kaorin standing in front of us, her face distraught with tears. She then ran off, sobbing.

"Kaorin?"

What had happened?

--

Chihiro was just stepping out when she saw Kaorin dash by. She was shocked at her friend's upset state, but before she could say something to her, Kaorin disappeared around a corner.

Concerned for Kaorin, we had gone after her and met with Chihiro on the way.

"Hey, have you seen Kaorin?" I asked.

"Oh…" Chihiro stared at us. "Yeah…what happened?"

"That's what we were going to ask you," I said. "Is there something wrong with her?"

"Huh? She didn't tell you?" she blinked.

"What'd mean by that?"

"Oh…um…" Chihiro ran a hand through her hair. "This is awkward to say…but I think I should tell you considering Kaorin's so upset now…"

"What is it?" I nodded, waiting for her answer.

"Well…err…" she faced Sakaki. "The thing is…she…um…she's had the biggest crush on you, Sakaki, ever since she first saw you…"

"Huh?" Sakaki blushed. This was news to us.

"Yeah…but she's always been really scared to admit it until now…but then she ran off…" Chihiro muttered. "What made her do that anyway?"

"Oh my god," I slapped my forehead. "We were kissing."

"W-What?" Chihiro stared at us, open-mouthed. "You two are together?!"

"Yeah," I groaned, grabbing my hair. "No wonder she's upset…I'd be really hurt, too, if I saw someone else kissing my love…god…what do we do now?"

There was a quiet pause then Sakaki spoke up.

"Let me talk to her."

"You sure?" I looked at her.

"…Yes…" she nodded. "Um…I'll go…"

She then walked off to around the side of the building, in direction of where Kaorin had run off to.

--

Kaorin sat near the flower beds, wailing into her hands.

_Why did this have to happen? Why? Oh God - WHY?_

She took a deep stuttering breath, wiping her tears away with her arm.

_I can't tell her...not now, not ever. She would never love me back now…Oh, Kaori, why couldn't you have said it sooner? It could have been possible…but it's too late for that now…_

She sniffled then she heard soft footsteps coming closer and she looked up – there, in front of her, stood Sakaki.

"Ohnonononononono," Kaorin shook her head, trying to scoot away. She couldn't just face her now.

"Just leave me alone, please."

"Kaorin?" Sakaki whispered, kneeling down.

"You don't have to say it!" Kaorin cried. "I've loved you for a long time, but now I see it just won't work out! You'll never feel the same for me, I know. Just forget it!"

She looked away, down at the ground.

"Um…" Sakaki bowed her head. "I'm very sorry you had to see that…I'm really sorry you're upset by this…I-I never knew…"

"Oh, don't be," Kaorin exhaled. "It'll never be. You love Kagura, and that's that."

"…" Sakaki watched for a moment then laid a hand on Kaorin's shoulder. Kaorin burned at her touch. It was after all, something she'd been wishing from Sakaki for a long time…

"I know how it feels," Sakaki sighed.

Kaorin blinked. "Y-you do…?"

"Yes," Sakaki nodded. "At first, it will hurt a lot but eventually it will lessen and you can move on with your life…"

"…It'll be really hard for me though," Kaorin hung her heard.

"I know it will be," Sakaki nodded. "But it will happen, and you will have your friends to help too…"

Kaorin said nothing, so she continued.

"I'm sorry it couldn't be," Sakaki then smiled lightly. "But maybe we can still be friends."

Kaorin gasped, looking up at her then she smiled as well.

"That'd be great…"

Just then Chihiro appeared and Sakaki took this as a cue to leave.

"Oh, Chihiro…" Kaorin spread her arms, allowing her friend to hug her.

Sakaki returned to me.

"How did it go?" I asked as she approached me.

Then I saw the tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Sakaki…" I immediately hugged her.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and cried into my hair.

--

Sakaki was in my bedroom, lying by herself. Today had not been a very good day for her. She had had a lot to deal with, after all.

The lonely walk…the cat bite…Tomo's antics…Kaorin…

Thus, my dad and I had been talking downstairs. I had planned how I'd really cheer her up, but I needed my dad's thoughts on it first.

Fortunately, he was for it, and we set the plan into motion.

"Sakaki?" I called out quietly, inching my bedroom door open.

"Mm…yeah?" she sighed, rolling over to face me.

"I've got a great surprise for you," I grinned and stepped in.

"Mayaa!" she gasped, rising from the bed.

Yes, the cat was in my arms, meowing happily at the sight of Sakaki. My dad had said he was fine with moving Mayaa into our home – he didn't mind cats. I knew Sakaki would be pleased.

"Mayaa…" she breathed, walking over to us.

She took the kitten into her arms, cuddling him. "Oh, Mayaa…"

With Mayaa and I around, there was no doubt Sakaki's life would brighten.


	17. An Eventful Day

Together Always

An Eventful Day

Author's Note: I honestly have no idea what to add here - except that I still did have to resolve the Yomi's test results/Magical Land scenario. Additionally, on this same day - our girls have their own share of experiences…

* * *

"Say, today's the day Yomi finds out her test results, isn't it?"

"Mm-hmm," Sakaki just nodded.

"That's what Tomo told me, anyway," I added, running a hairbrush through Sakaki's long silky hair. "Huh…the same day we go to Magical Land…"

We were in the bathroom, freshening up a bit before we went out. As of the moment, we were wearing only our white towels. I put down the brush and wrapped my arms around Sakaki's torso, nuzzling her neck.

"I hope we have lot of fun…"

Sakaki could only blush a deep pink at this close contact.

"Well, we'd better get dressed," I said as I let go.

We returned to my bedroom where we started our search for clothes to wear. As I looked through my closet, Sakaki checked her suitcase.

"Oh," she giggled as she picked up a shirt.

Mayaa had been curled up comfortably in her clothes. He let out a mew as Sakaki uncovered him.

"Mayaa," she sighed, scratching under his chin.

This sight made me smile. Just as I had thought – ever since Mayaa's arrival, Sakaki's mood had been improving greatly.

After we were fully dressed, we headed downstairs followed by Mayaa.

"Later Dad!" I called out as we reached the front door while Sakaki gave the kitten a last pat. "We're off to Magical Land!"

"All right," he replied from the kitchen. "Have fun girls!"

"Will do!" I nodded then we went outside.

--

"Sure is a nice day, huh?"

"Mm-hmm."

"It's just perfect for our trip."

We were out on the street towards the district where we would meet with our friends. It really was a pleasant sunny day out, the sky a clear blue.

"So…um…" I took Sakaki's hand as we walked on. "Since we're out of school, what should we do this summer before our colleges get started?"

"Well…um…" Sakaki mumbled. "What did you have in mind?"

I chuckled. "Well…getting a job is my first priority of course. You should do the same."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Sakaki nodded, smiling slightly.

I returned the gesture, then I thought of the problem that'd been bothering me as usual. I bowed my head, sighing deeply. "Sakaki…what'll we do if we have to move out?"

I was bit concerned, after all. We can't stay at my home forever…

"Oh, Kagura…" Sakaki gazed at me. "I made my promise to you…I'm not going to leave you…We can figure this out, all right?"

I loved it when Sakaki was like this – it proved that she could be just as determined as…well, myself.

"We could try to find a place to stay together," Sakaki added.

"That would be great!" I agreed, excited at the prospect. "But…what about the colleges? We're not going to the same schools, you know."

"Hmm…" Sakaki tapped her chin. "We could look into it sometime later and see which is the best for us."

"Good thinking," I grinned.

Suddenly she froze, standing there like a living statue.

"Sakaki?" I glanced back, wondering what had caused her to react like this.

"S-She's here…" she whispered in a trembling voice.

"Huh?" I blinked then looked around.

Then I saw her.

On the road, a black car had drove up beside us and inside it was Sakaki's mother. I took a wary step backwards when she turned her head at us as she slowly passed by. Then she was gone.

When it seemed all quiet and safe enough, I stepped towards Sakaki, knowing this had been quite unsettling for her.

"Oh, Sakaki," I hugged her as she let out a sob.

--

"There you are!" Tomo called out. "We've been waiting long!"

"Hey Tomo," I waved back. "Looks like everybody's here!"

"Yeah, that's right!" Tomo nodded. "There's Yomi, too!"

She pointed towards Yomi whom was standing apart from the group, near the crowd of students checking for their names on the nearby signs.

"Anyway, I want to show you something!" Tomo pulled out a thin paperback from the back of her jeans, flipping the pages open.

"Oh cool!" I exclaimed, checking out the pictures of the rides. "I'd like to ride that one!"

"Yeah, me too!" Tomo agreed.

"Mm," Sakaki looked over my shoulder at the book.

"Sure is sunny today!" Osaka said suddenly. "Good thing, huh?"

"Yeah!" Chiyo smiled.

Then Yomi walked towards us, and I saw Tomo leave.

"Where are you going?" I asked curiously.

She didn't reply, so I turned back to Yomi, who was now asking Chiyo to power up her charm.

"All right, leave it to me!" Chiyo said determinedly, taking it and began concentrating on it. "Hngrrrrrrrrr…"

Then Tomo returned just as soon as she had left. "Hey Yomi, I looked and your name wasn't up there."

"WHAT??" Yomi screamed in the next second while Chiyo dropped her charm in shock. "B-But she hadn't finished powering it up yet! Why did you have to look? WHY?!"

She then immediately ran off towards the signs and I faced Tomo, frowning.

"That was pretty mean…"

"Hahaha," Tomo chuckled. "Just wait…"

Not too long after, we heard Yomi calling out to us excitedly. "I'm on! I'm on there!"

"Oh yeah!" I grinned. "Congratulations!"

"Yeah, congratulations!" Chiyo giggled.

"Way to go!" Osaka smiled.

"Way to go pal!" Tomo said cheerfully, holding her hand out.

In the next moment, we watched Yomi give Tomo an flying uppercut. Well…she sorta had it coming…

Still, this was a very happy moment, so I stepped in after Tomo had recovered. "This calls for a celebration!"

"Great idea!" Tomo replied.

"Huh?" Yomi blinked.

"I say we toss Yomi in the air!" Tomo proposed, pumping her fist.

"Uh, no that's all right," Yomi stepped backwards, waving her hands.

"Nah, wait," Tomo shook her head. "She'd be too heavy, let's toss Chiyo!"

"WHAT?" Yomi raged at that subtle fat crack while Chiyo looked bewildered.

Before she could say anything, we caught her and tossed her in the air.

"AH! HELP!" she cried out as we bounced her up and down.

We were enjoying this.

--

For the rest of the day, we had bounds of fun at Magical Land.

Sakaki enjoyed every ride with us; it was so nice to see her looking so happy. But…she seemed to disappear each time I suggested a fast and cool roller coaster ride.

When we took a short break from the rides, we bought ice cream.

Osaka enjoyed a lemon pop while Chiyo had strawberry and Tomo grabbed chocolate as Yomi picked vanilla with chopped peanuts. Sakaki and I shared a vanilla-chocolate combo twirl ice cream, I allowed her to have the first bite before we started out licks. Once we had finished it, we shared a chilly sweet kiss.

We resumed our rounds in the park, taking some pictures and a couple of more rides before heading home.

Once we'd arrived back near home, we stood together for one last time. It really wasn't our last time together but at the moment, it seemed like it.

We exchanged a couple of "Good nights," "Have a great summers," and "We'll see you arounds."

I gave Chiyo a pat on her head, smiling at her. "We'll keep in touch, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded.

"Well, it's time to go home," I faced Sakaki, taking her hand. "Hope to see you later, guys."

"Hope so, too!" Chiyo waved back. "Have a great summer!"

"You, too!" I called back as we left down the street in the darkening evening.

--

"It's a nice tonight too," I said as we walked.

"Yes…" Sakaki sighed then she suddenly stopped.

"Huh? What's wrong?" I asked concernedly.

She said nothing, only staring up at the house ahead. I immediately recognized it as her former home; somehow we'd stumbled upon a different route past it. I then looked at her. She didn't look like she was going to burst into tears, but she did look quite sad.

"Sakaki…" I whispered, taking her hand and leading her on gently. "Let's go home…"

She stared back at it as we continued down the street then hung her head once the house had disappeared out of sight.

Sakaki…Sometimes I wish it didn't have to be like this for you…

--

"Hey girls, did you have fun?" My dad asked as we entered inside.

"It was great," I smiled half-heartedly, knowing well what mood Sakaki was in at the moment. "What's for dinner?"

"Pasta!" he grinned. "Follow me in!"

As I devoured my spaghetti, I noticed Sakaki had barely touched her food – simply twirling her fork in it. Then she glanced up and peered under the table, Mayaa had just brushed against her leg. She smiled then gave him a meatball from her plate.

I looked at my dad to see if he was going to say anything, but he just kept on smiling as he ate his slice of garlic bread.

"Good dinner, huh?" he said.

Sakaki returned to her pasta, taking a couple of forkfuls before setting down the fork.

"May I be excused?" she asked.

I stared at her plate; it wasn't even near empty. "But Sakaki…"

"Sure," my dad cut in. "Go ahead."

"Thank you," she bowed then slid her chair back and headed out of the room.

After she was gone, I turned onto my dad. "Dad! She didn't even eat at all!"

"Actually, she did have few bites," he pointed out.

"But that's not enough!" I retorted. "She needs to eat more!"

"She'll be fine," he said calmly. "I know as well as you that she wasn't herself tonight. It'd be wise not to push her into eating naturally when she doesn't have the stomach for it."

"Ah…" I sighed. He was right. "Yeah, you're right Dad…"

"Besides…" he chuckled. "She'll be back soon…"

"What do you mean by that?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Aha, go see Sakaki after you're finished," he raised a finger.

"Hmph," I finished off my pasta then stood to leave for upstairs. "I'm going, good night Dad."

"Good night," he smiled as I gave him a kiss.

I stepped into my bedroom to see Sakaki already in bed, stroking Mayaa beside her on the pillows.

"Sakaki…" I sighed, climbing inside with her and wrapped an arm over her stomach. "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered quietly as I leaned in for a kiss.

"Good night, Sakaki."

She continued petting the kitten.

"Good night, Kagura."

--

Sakaki sat up, wide awake. It was middle of the night, so the bedroom was very dark.

She was hungry.

She then looked down at Mayaa and me, we were still fast asleep. She smiled at the cute scene, I always looked so adorable in sleep…

She then climbed out of the bed, careful not to disturb us. Only wearing her T-shirt and undershorts, she headed out into the corridor and down the stairs to the kitchen. She did not turn on the light switch for worry she might wake up someone, instead heading straight for the cabinets.

She searched through them for her favorite snack then found it hiding behind the cereal boxes, taking out the delectable cookies. When she closed the cabinet doors, a sudden voice rang into the darkness, making her jump.

"So there's the cookie thief."

It was my dad, grinning as he aimed a flashlight at Sakaki.

Sakaki blushed, clutching her box. "Um…I was hungry…"

"I know," he chuckled. "I'd be, too, if I only had two forks of spaghetti for dinner. Have a seat."

Sakaki hesitated then sat at the table, reaching into her box for a cookie.

"All right, we've got a matter to talk over," he sighed as he sat down.

Sakaki stared at him.

"No, no," he laughed, waving his hands. "I'm not going to get all touchy-feely here – that's Kagura's job."

Sakaki could only blush pink at that comment and took another cookie to munch on.

"The deal is that my daughter really cares for you," he added. "Very much so I must add. She never likes seeing you down."

"…" Sakaki lowered her head. "I know that…so…what are you telling me?"

"What I'm telling you is that…" my dad leaned forward on the table. "That my daughter, Kagura's birthday is very, very close by."

Sakaki's eyes widened, she had even dropped her cookie in mid-bite.

"Kagura's birthday?" she whispered. "When?"

"In a matter of days," he nodded, crossing his arms.

"What should I do for her?" Sakaki asked.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Why don't you try for yourself?"

He then stood up from the table. "I only called you down to remind you. Good night, Sakaki."

He then walked off – pausing at the doorway. "And please do put back the box in its place, will you? It's a pain trying to find it again."

"Uh…" Sakaki nodded. "…Good night, Akio…"

After he had left, she put back the box and headed upstairs. She found me still dozing and slipped under the sheets near me, embracing me.

"Mm…" she sighed. "I'll give you the best birthday ever…"

And she was going to do it. She owed me so much for all the things I've done for her, it was her turn to repay the favor.


	18. Kagura's Birthday

Together Always

Kagura's Birthday

Author's Note: Hoohoo! Kagura's birthday has arrived and Sakaki is prepared to take her out for one special day of surprises! First, Kagura's dad lends a hand in starting off their day…

It took me a while trying to think of a better title than the generic 'Kagura's Birthday' - I am sorry to say the attempt failed

Still, I do hope you'll enjoy it!

* * *

_How could I not forget that day? Sakaki held true to her words and gave ourselves quite a special experience. We even did things we'd never thought we actually would do…_

The day went off to a pleasant start; I was awakened by the delicious smell of fresh pancakes. I sat up to see Sakaki setting the tray down on my lap. I picked up a fork, digging into my breakfast.

"Mm, this is quite tasty," I sighed, savoring the taste as Sakaki leaned forward to kiss my neck. "So, what's the occasion?"

"You don't know?" Sakaki looked back at me. "Today's your birthday."

"Oh…that's right…" I had been so caught up in caring for Sakaki, I'd forgotten about myself, too.

"Happy Birthday," Sakaki kissed me. "I have a present for you."

"You do?" I asked expectantly. "What is it?"

"This," she replied, holding up my left hand where I noticed a silver chain bracelet on my wrist. Somehow she'd slipped it on while I was sleeping.

"It's very nice," I admitted. "Thanks, Sakaki."

"That's not all," she smiled softly as she leaned in close. "There's more to come…"

"More?"

Sakaki nodded. In fact, I was just about to see a whole lot more. She'd been planning this since she heard about my birthday and had let my dad in some of the details. Speaking of which…

"There's my birthday girl!" My dad grinned as he stepped into my room. Immediately, I felt a bit shy with Sakaki nuzzling at me while he was just standing there in front of us. "Uh…Sakaki…"

"Don't worry about it," he raised a hand. "I just stopped by to drop off my gift for you."

"What'd you get me, Dad?" I asked curiously as I leaned forward.

"See for yourself," he chuckled, holding out a pair of tickets to…

"The baseball game!" I gasped, grabbing them. "Dad, this is so cool!"

I tackled him in a hug.

"Yeah, I'd been saving them for a while," he said, patting my back. "It was going to be for us when your birthday came around, but since Sakaki's here, I think it'll be more fitting for you two to spend it together instead today."

"This is so going to be fun!" I stepped back then glanced at Sakaki. "Won't it be?"

"Anyway," my dad checked his watch. "You'd better get going, the game begins later this morning."

He left the room, and we immediately changed into new clothes.

"Wow," I exhaled, buttoning up my baseball jersey. "I can just tell this is going to be a great birthday!"

Sakaki giggled quietly. _If only you knew…_

As we headed downstairs, my dad called out to us, "Looks like even Mayaa has a gift for you!"

"He does?"

We heard a meow and looked down to see the kitten sitting next to our feet. Lying on the floor at his paws was a dead sparrow.

"Err…thanks…?" I mumbled while Sakaki turned pale in the face.

He looked quite pleased with himself, his tail eagerly flicking back and forth.

After my dad had lent us some money and told us the directions, we set off for the shopping district where we would grab a bus to the stadium.

On the way, I took a hold of Sakaki's hands and twirled ourselves around.

"I'm so excited!" I sighed, letting go. "It's been a while since I've been to a game! Have you ever been to one?"

"Oh…" she hung her head. "No…I've never gone before…"

"Oh…I see…" I looked at her then smiled. "Well, trust me, it'll be one of the best experiences you'll ever have!"

I then took a stance, imitating a pitcher warming up for a throw. "Just imagine it…the catcher makes a signal…the pitcher nods and he lets loose a curve ball!"

I threw my arm outward then grabbed an invisible bat. "And the batter waits for the moment…then he swings!"

I swung the bat and made contact with the imaginary ball. "He makes a hit! It's flying…flying…right out of the park! It's a homerun! The crowd goes nuts!"

I tossed away the bat and jumped around Sakaki, whooping.

"And we'll be up in the stands!" I said, pausing for a breath of air. "Watching all this happen. It's really exciting!"

"Oh…wow…" Sakaki sighed, staring off in thought.

"You imagining it, yet?" I grinned. "The pitcher's throw? The homerun? The cheering?"

"…Yes…" she smiled softly, raising a hand to her chin. "Yes I am…"

She could see it just as I described it…us in the stands…laughing and hugging…

"Well then what are we waiting for?" I said suddenly, snapping her out of her daydream. "Let's get to the real thing!"

I grabbed her hand and dragged her along as we hurried over to the bus station.

We paid for the fare and stepped onto the bus, taking our seats. As our ride started down the street, I took the time to look outside the windows. Sakaki watched me for a moment then she kissed her hand and placed it on my cheek.

"What was that for?" I asked quietly.

"A kiss," she replied, stroking my bangs. "For you."

I felt a blush creep across my face as I gave her a small smile.

We soon arrived at our destination and got off to view the large stadium in front of us.

"There, see that?" I pointed, facing Sakaki. "Doesn't that make you feel pumped?"

"Well…"

Before she could say more, I took her hand again and ran off to join the line of people waiting to get in. After we'd flashed our tickets, I led her off to the side where the snacks and souvenirs were sold.

"Wait here," I motioned to her then went over to the counter.

Moments later, I returned with a baseball mitt and a Giants cap which I pulled on over Sakaki's head.

"These are for you," I said, fitting the glove onto Sakaki's left hand.

"Oh no, I couldn't!" she gasped, tilting her hat up. "It's your birthday!"

"That doesn't mean I should be the only one enjoying myself," I smiled warmly. "Come on, let's go grab our seats."

We climbed up to our assigned row and settled in, taking the view of the field below. It was a good seating, we were neither too far nor too close, so we could see all the action that took place. We watched the warm-up routine briefly before the loudspeaker called for the start of the first inning.

"Sakaki, prepare to have fun!" I grinned, elbowing her arm lightly as the players took their positions.

However, many minutes later, there hadn't been any news of real excitement – mostly strikeouts and fly balls – but the home team did manage a couple of second bases.

"When does the fun begin?" Sakaki asked quietly.

"Um," I straightened up. "Just wait a moment, it'll soon get tense in the last few innings."

Ah, who was I kidding? There hadn't even been any hits that reached all way out to the outfield! This just wasn't their day.

"Just…wait for it…" I sighed, slumping back in my seat.

"Oh, okay," Sakaki nodded then she turned back to the game.

Suddenly, there was hit and I saw the ball heading towards us.

"What's going on?" Sakaki asked, glancing at the standing people.

"It's a big hit!" I remained seated, still watching it in midair. "Looks like a homerun!"

"What should I do?"

"I don't know, usually someone catches it in the stands if they're lucky–"

Immediately Sakaki stood up and caught it neatly in her mitt. "Like this?"

I could only stare at her. "S-Sakaki…"

She had actually caught a perfect homerun ball…She'd accomplished the very dream of a young baseball fan…as myself and also my dad who had been looking forward to the opportunity for a long time…

"Um…here you go," she put it in my hands. "For you."

Moments later, there was a great outburst – the home team had scored their first homerun.

"Oh, they're cheering!" Sakaki pointed, leaning in for a quick kiss on my cheek. "This is fun."

"Yeah…" was all I could say. "It is…"

Soon, the game was over and the morning now progressed into a late afternoon, we headed back to the bus stop.

Still fiddling with the ball in my hands, I looked up at Sakaki. "So…did you like the game?"

"I had a very nice time," she smiled. "I would like to go again sometime…"

"Yeah," I agreed. "Um…thanks for catching the ball."

"You're welcome," she replied.

Our bus arrived and we entered inside. I took this opportunity for a quick nap on Sakaki's lap. She watched me for a second then she ran her fingers through my hair gently, looking out the windows as the bus moved along.

--

I felt hands pushing at my shoulders, encouraging me to open my tired eyes up at Sakaki's face.

"We're home," she whispered. "Let's go."

"Oh…yeah," I sat up, stretching my arms. "Right, Sakaki."

We left the station, now walking back to my house.

Upon reaching the doorstep, we were greeted by my dad.

"Have a good time, girls?" he grinned.

"Yeah!" I held out my baseball. "Sakaki caught this homerun ball, for real!"

He was silent for a moment, then let out a whooshing breath. "Whoa…are you serious? Really?"

"Yes, I caught it," Sakaki said simply. "For Kagura."

Perhaps she shouldn't have mentioned that, for it caused my dad to surprise her with a bear hug. I've never seen her turn so red in my life.

"This calls for a celebration!" he chortled, letting go. "First time in living history, we've finally snatched one for the family! Sakaki, you've definitely made an impact on us!"

He walked off, leaving us alone.

"Heh…sorry about that," I rubbed my neck embarrassedly. "I don't know why he gets like that, but don't mind him…Sakaki?"

I noticed Sakaki was tearing up.

"Is something the matter?" I asked in concern.

"N-no…" she shook her head, rubbing her eyes. "It's nothing…"

"Well…" I tilted my head. "I had a good time. Thanks again for that."

"Oh," she raised her head. "But there's still more…"

"Really?" I followed her inside.

"Yes…um…" she was blushing, "I have something planned tonight for us…the baseball game was really Akio's part in your birthday…Now…it's my turn."

"Oh…what'll we do?" I asked curiously.

She giggled then leaned in for a deep kiss. "Just wear something very nice."

"Huh?"

"Um, if you don't mind, that is," she blushed deeper. "But I would like it very much if you did…It's a special night…"

"Okay, I will…" I nodded then saw Sakaki was walking away. "Hey, where are you going?"

"To get dressed," she replied, halfway up the stairs. "Would it be okay if I borrow your room? I want to surprise you."

"Um…I guess so…" I said uncertainly. "But what should I do?"

"Ask your dad," she called back. "He'll help out."

"Wait, what could he possibly have to do with tonight?"

"You'll see." The door shut behind her and that was that.

I asked my dad about it and he led me into his bedroom where he showed me a closet of my mom's old clothes.

"What are you showing me this for?"

"I've been waiting for this for a while," he replied, searching through the wardrobe.

"What do you mean Dad?"

"The day you'd be walking down the aisle in your mother's gown," he faced me. "Well, today, we can see that might not be happening for now, so we'll go with the next best thing."

He then pulled out a satin white dress that reached to my knees, we figured that when he held it up to me.

I froze. Me…in a dress?

"Are y-you sure?" I stammered.

"Well, do you want to look nice?"

"Well…yes…" I admitted. "But I'm not so sure about the dress…isn't there something else?"

"You could always wear my old things," he shrugged. "But I'm afraid they're bit moth-eaten…and I don't think they would fit you…"

I sighed, then stared at the dress. I made my decision.

"I'll wear it."

An hour later, I came out of my dad's room a new girl, decked out in my mom's dress with my hair tied back. I stepped through the hall shyly, still unsure about this when my room's door suddenly opened. It was Sakaki looking just as beautiful as ever, she had also put up her hair and was garbed in a sleek black dress which tastefully exposed her shoulders and legs.

"Wow…uh…" I avoided her eyes, rubbing my arms awkwardly.. "Oh…this is just so new…It's so weird…"

I turned away, but she put a hand on my cheek, making us face each other directly.

"No…you're very pretty…" she sighed.

I felt my face burn hot at this. "T-Thanks…So you do…"

"No wait," I added hastily. "You look beautiful!"

Sakaki's cheeks turned pink. "…Thank you…"

"Where did you get that dress?" I couldn't help asking.

"It was…" she fell quiet but she managed a strong face. "…Let's go downstairs."

"So where are we going?" I asked as we headed down.

"Out to dinner," she replied, leading me into the kitchen.

"Here?" I was confused. "But…"

Once we stepped in, I noticed the room was dark save for a single glowing candle on the covered table ahead. Sakaki pulled out a chair for me to sit in.

"Wow…what is all this?"

"Dinner date," Sakaki sighed, scooting up to the table.

"Wait…" I noticed something. "Where's Dad?"

"He went out," Sakaki answered. "Would you like some pasta?"

"Yes, that'll be nice…" I nodded as she pulled a plate of spaghetti towards us.

"Mm…" she smiled, twirling her fork in it. "Your dad makes the best pasta…"

I blushed again. "Y-yeah…I guess…he's a good cook…"

She picked it up and brought it up to me. "Here."

"Oh, thanks," I took it, savoring the buttery taste.

She chuckled lightly, then rolled up a yarn for herself, eating it as well.

There was a bit left, so I slurped it up. Seconds later, I came in contact with Sakaki's lips.

"Oh!" I pulled back in surprise, covering my mouth.

She just smiled, leaning forward for another kiss so I complied. She was more intense this time, grabbing the back of my neck to push us in closer.

"Whoa," I gasped when we parted for a moment. "Is there dessert?"

"Ah, that's right," Sakaki sighed, getting up. "I nearly forgot…"

She stepped over to the fridge and came back with a glass cup of chocolate malt topped with whipped cream and a red cherry.

"Here you go," she said, holding out the cherry to me.

"Thank you," I happily took it.

She then stuck two straws into it and we shared the treat together.

"Mm…" I sighed after we had finished. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes," she grabbed my hands, leading me towards the hall. "We go out for a walk, I want to show you something."

"Oh, you're getting too much!" I exclaimed lightly as we went outside.

Walking down a street at this time of night sent me chills.

"It's cold…" I shivered, rubbing my arms.

"Oh, let me hold you," she sighed, wrapping an arm around me. Instantly I warmed up at her touch.

"That's much better…" I leaned into her warmth.

"Here we are," she said at once.

We had arrived at our park, but there was something completely different about it.

It was the flowering night, the trees were pink with flying blossoms under the glow of the lampposts, creating quite a tranquil and romantic atmosphere.

"Wow…it's…" I breathed.

"Happy birthday, Kagura," Sakaki sighed, nuzzling my hair.

"Oh Sakaki…" I looked up at her. "Why do all this for me? How come?"

"Because I love you very much," Sakaki hugged close. "You've done so much for me these past months, it's my turn to repay the favor…I love you, Kagura."

It was good we were alone since at that moment, she leaned in for another passionate kiss, the flowers swirling about us.

--

We finally returned home, collapsing onto my bed upstairs. My dad still wasn't home.

"Sakaki, again, thanks so much for this day," I sighed, rolling over to her side. "It was great."

"I'm glad you liked it," she sighed, reaching an arm across my waist. "Now…I just have one more gift for you…"

She then crawled over to her suitcase and picked up a box. "Here, Happy birthday."

"Oh, what is it?" I pondered, unwrapping the ribbon.

What came next was yet some confusion, I picked up a sleeveless pink shirt. "What's this?"

"Your new pajamas," Sakaki blushed pinkly, eying the box.

"I see…but why pink?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I…I thought you'd look c-cute…" Sakaki blushed deeper. "Do you like it?"

"Well, I suppose I'll get used to it," I chuckled. "Thanks Sakaki."

While I turned around to put on my shirt and shorts ensemble, I didn't notice Sakaki as she let her hair loose and stripped down before climbing under the bed sheets.

"Well, it's late, we should get to sleep," I exhaled, switching off the lights then joined beside Sakaki.

Once I felt her bare waist though, I jumped back. "Wha-?"

Sakaki turned red, shifting under the covers. "Um…the l-last thing we can do…is a-anything you want w-with me…"

I stared at her for a moment then relaxed. "Ah…okay, if you say so."

And I cuddled up to her, falling fast asleep on her chest. Sakaki was surprised by this move but then she smiled and embraced me. "Good night Kagura."

--

The next morning, I headed downstairs where I met with my dad in the kitchen.

"So, how'd your night go?" he grinned.

"It was really nice," I sighed, leaning on the counter. "We had a good dinner then Sakaki took me to the park to see the blossoms…and we fell asleep…"

"Huh?" my dad looked at me. "Say that again?"

"Nothing big, Dad," I muttered. "We just cuddled, that's all."

He stared for a moment then let out a yell, grabbing his head.

"Gah! What are you doing?" he exclaimed. "Wasting your time, that's what!"

He then stormed off, leaving me in total confusion.

What was his deal?


	19. Night Stories

Together Always

Nighttime Stories

Author's Note: Now - I would like to tell you few things about this chapter.

This is probably one of the most serious chapters I'll ever write, we soon learn of our girls' past back stories and maybe even something about Sakaki's mother…

Warning: Slight Suggestive Content, Slight Language

* * *

Summer was nearly upon us – the season of watermelons, sunny beaches, and sleeping in...especially the sleeping in part. We could be doing that right now if my dad hadn't woken us early to do chores! Ugh...

He handed over a list as I sat up, grumbling tiredly.

"Now, I'd like you to finish the list while I'm out, okay?" he said, pointing at it.

"What could you possibly have to do today?" I asked with a mumble.

"I have clients, I do work, you know," he said as matter-of-factly. "Have fun girls."

As he left, I looked over the paper and found we had quite a lot to do.

"Oh geez…" I sighed then I shook Sakaki gently. "Get up. We've got things to do today."

"Nngh…" She rolled over in response, pulling the sheet over her head. She'd been acting like this since it had gotten warmer, content with her extra sleep.

"Aw…come on," I sighed, leaning over her shoulder so I could whisper into her ear. "You don't want me to work all day by myself, do you?"

She didn't reply.

"Put it this way…after I'm all done…you're be up and peppy while I'll be very tired…and maybe even bit grumpy…"

Sakaki turned back, kissing my cheek. "I'll help."

"Thanks," I smiled at her. I thought so.

First on list was doing the laundry, so we grabbed our clothes into baskets and brought them downstairs. As Sakaki dumped hers into the washer after mine, we heard a meow. We glanced around, seeing no sign of Mayaa, then focused onto the washer. Since Mayaa had a tendency to hide in Sakaki's clothes, our immediate thought was that she'd probably thrown him in by accident.

"Mayaa!" she called out, digging through the shirts and pants.

I heard another meow and felt some brushing against my legs. I looked down to see Mayaa, looking just fine as he purred.

"Um…Sakaki…" I chuckled weakly. "He's right here…"

"Oh," she looked back.

After we'd unloaded our laundry, we headed back into the hall.

"Okay, let's see…" I read out the list. "Okay Sakaki, why don't you do the dishes while I vacuum?"

"Okay," she nodded.

As she went into the kitchen, I walked over to the hall closet where I pulled out the vacuum. "All right, let's do this."

Mayaa darted away every time I brought it near him; hiding under or on the furniture didn't do it for him as the roar of it would still follow him. He finally decided to stay upstairs where he would be safe from it. That way, I was able to vacuum the rest of the rooms without interruptions.

Just as I was finishing up in the living room, I heard the shatter of china echo from the kitchen across the hall.

"Oh, Sakaki!" I ran towards the noise, pushing the doors open to see Sakaki kneeling on the floor. A plate lay in pieces in front of her.

"I-I'm sorry…" she stared at me. "I-it slipped…a-and it b-broke…"

Then she cried.

"I'm sorry!" she wailed, burying her face in her soap-soaked hands. "I'm sorry!"

"Sakaki!" I hurried over to her side, lightly patting her back. "It's okay, it's just a plate, it's fine really."

But I couldn't help thinking that there seemed to be more to Sakaki's crying than a broken plate.

After her sobs had subsided, I helped her up.

"Look, why don't you take a break while I clean this up?"

"I-I'm fine," she sniffled. "Really," she added when I gave her a look.

"Okay, if you say so…" I exhaled. "Well, why don't you clean up the bathroom upstairs?"

As she left, I bent down to pick up the shards. At that moment, Mayaa stepped into the kitchen and rubbed against my thighs, meowing.

"I know, I'm concerned for her, too," I sighed.

After I had put away the dishes, I grabbed a washcloth and bottle of glass cleaner to start on the windows. Before I had even started, however, Sakaki returned.

"What is it, Sakaki?" I asked as she walked up to me.

"I finished the bathroom," she replied.

But I knew she hadn't; it was too soon. Still, I let her off so as not to trouble her.

"Okay, I see," I nodded. "I'm just going to clean the windows now."

"May I help?" she asked though she sounded more expectant than polite.

"You sure?"

"Yes please," she affirmed.

"Well…" I pointed towards the laundry room. "You can get yourself a cloth, then get started on the living room."

She stared for a moment then nodded. "Got it."

As I left, she grabbed her stuff and went over to the room. Once she crouched in front of one of the windows beside the couch, she went into thought. She felt bit guilty about not doing any work in the bathroom, but she'd been unable to get the broken plate incident out of her system.

Hopefully, washing the windows would take her mind off it better than the bathroom did. But as she reached out to spritz, she saw herself in the glass. As she stared, she was instantly reminded of her mother. She lowered her head. _I can't do this._

Just as I slid the wet washcloth across the window, I saw Sakaki's reflection in the glass.

"Sakaki, what is it?" I turned around.

She said nothing, only reaching her arms out towards me. I knew what she wanted.

I hugged close to her waist and she responded the same with my shoulders, nuzzling my hair.

After she had her comfort, I led her back into the living room where I settled her onto a couch.

"Okay, why don't you just lie there while I get the windows done?" I sighed, brushing Sakaki's bangs out of her face.

"Okay," she said before I kissed her.

"I'll be around," I smiled reassuringly as I left.

I felt it was the best for her. Whenever she got into that mood, it just wasn't good for her to exert herself by trying to do things as means of distraction.

Almost a half hour later, I returned to her. She was still lying there, fiddling with the cushion.

"You feeling better?" I stooped over her, stroking her face.

"Yeah…a little…" she mumbled.

"Well, I'm done with the windows, so I'm off to mow the lawn," I said, straightening up. "You can watch on the back porch if you want."

"…Okay," she sat up.

"I also made some sandwiches," I thumbed back across the room. "They're in the fridge. Help yourself."

"…Okay, thank you," she nodded.

"See you," I headed out.

Outside, I went over to the garage and lifted up the door so I could get to the lawn mower. I found it in the corner near our bikes and dragged it out to the backyard. Once I was there, I could see I was in for a lot of work. The sun was brutally hot, the grass tall and tangled with weeds. I exhaled then bent down to start up the motor, pulling at the handle.

"Gee, Dad needs to do his job more often," I muttered as the mower's engine revved.

As I pushed it across the yard, I spotted Sakaki on the back porch. She seemed content under its cool shade, waving at me.

"Hey!" I waved back then started on the mower. At least she's feeling okay.

Sakaki watched me in action, picking up her chicken sandwich.

_She works so hard…nothing ever seems to get her down…I wish I could be as strong as her…_

Eventually, it turned into late noon and the grass had been neatly cut. I pushed the mower into a safe corner and stepped onto the porch.

"Whoa, it was so hot!" I exclaimed, wiping my sweaty brow. "I must've worked up a tan!"

I checked my arms to see if they had gotten darker.

"Would you like lemonade?" Sakaki asked, pointing to a pitcher on the table. "I got it from the fridge, too."

"Yeah, that'd be great," I grinned, grabbing a glass. "Fill 'er up."

She poured a drink and I picked it up, gulping down the ice-refreshing liquid.

As I did so, Sakaki couldn't help but keep staring…

She looked over every detail; my skin shining with sweat…the damp white t-shirt clinging to my chest…my slim figure in all…

"Wow…" Sakaki blushed.

"Ah!" I set down my glass. "That was good!"

"Um…are you finished with the chores?" she looked up at me.

"Well…" I scratched my head. "Not yet, but I think I'll take a short break first. I could sure use it."

"Sounds good," Sakaki nodded.

We entered inside and headed upstairs to my room. Halfway up, I suddenly felt a hand on my back pocket. I looked back to see Sakaki blush shyly and put down her hand.

"Um…I slipped…"

I just chuckled and made the rest of the way up. Once we were in my room, Sakaki sat at the edge of the bed, still gazing at me.

"Oh man…I'm really sore…" I mumbled, stretching my arms. No wonder; I'd been working for most of the day. I was bound to ache all over.

"Mm…" Sakaki tilted her head. "Would a massage be nice?"

"Huh?" I blinked. "You know how?"

"Uh…yes…" she blushed again. "I…you know, tense…"

"Hmm…" I smirked. "That wouldn't be too bad…"

In fact, I was completely exhilarated at the idea of Sakaki's hands working over my tired muscles…

"Have at it," I sighed, flopping down on the bed.

"Oh…ok…" she whispered. "Um…it helps if your shirt's off…"

"Oh, that's right," I glanced at her then sat up to pull up my shirt. Sakaki turned pink; I had nothing on underneath.

"Well, I'm waiting," I sighed as I laid down.

"Um…" Sakaki gulped then she reached out for my shoulders. Upon contact, we both felt a warm tingle. Sakaki hesitated then she began kneading.

"Ooh," I gasped. "That does feel good…"

Sakaki raised her head then smiled, pushing more effort into her rubs. Her hands then trailed down my body, squeezing my sides and…

"Oh!" I yelped in surprise then looked back at Sakaki, smirking a bit. "Is that part of the massage?"

Sakaki blushed furiously and returned to my shoulders. I sighed, resting my head. "Mm…"

"You like it?" Sakaki asked softly.

"Yeah, I do…it's so nice…"

"…" Sakaki paused, staring at me.

"…Sakaki?" I noticed the pause. "What's wrong?"

"Sit up please," Sakaki said from behind and so I did.

Immediately I felt her on my back, wrapping her arms around my abdomen. It was my turn to blush for Sakaki had taken her top off as well.

"Kagura…" she sighed, nuzzling me. "I love you…"

"…I love you too, but…" I replied, unsure what Sakaki was expecting.

"I just want us to be able to get close together," Sakaki exhaled, stroking my hair. "Just like this…"

"Mm…" I thought about it as Sakaki kissed my neck. "You're right…we do love each other…we should get closer…"

Before she had a chance to react, I turned onto her, grabbing her head and giving her the best kiss yet possible. Still kissing deeply, we rolled back on the bed, I on top of her.

Sakaki embraced me, returning the favor. _Thank you!_

--

Meanwhile, having finished his errands, my dad took a rest at a café in the district.

"I wonder if the girls are enjoying themselves," he leaned back on his chair, grinning.

--

The next thing I knew, I was wide awake and it was late at night. My first thought was about the chores I hadn't finished.

"Oh no!" I gasped, sitting up. "I didn't complete that list!"

"After all that, you still care about that?" came a mumbled reply.

It was Sakaki, she was up as well.

"Um…yeah, I guess…" I blushed lightly.

Sakaki giggled then leaned in for another kiss. We both were naked and just had our best afternoon ever.

"Well…" I sighed, falling back on my pillow. "It must be midnight, what should we do now? I can't really just go back to sleep."

"Mm…" Sakaki cuddled close. "We could tell each other stories…"

"What kind of stories?" I asked, hoping we didn't have to make them up. I'm not very creative, you know.

"…" Sakaki looked down, tracing her finger along my chest. "…True ones…"

"Oh…I see…well, where should we start?"

"…" Sakaki glanced sideways. "…Tell me about your mother…what was she like?"

The room fell silent.

"…M-my mother?"

"Oh…" Sakaki bowed her head. "I'm sorry if that was too personal...We can talk about something else."

"No, no…" I shook my head, placing a hand on Sakaki's cheek. "It's just that…it was so long time ago…"

"I'm sorry," Sakaki quickly apologized. "I…"

"Really, it's ok," I sighed. "I remember her…just barely…but I do remember her…"

Sakaki was now listening intently, nodding.

"She was the prettiest and nicest person I ever knew…" I sighed as I drifted off into my memories of her.

"Her name was Sachi, but I called her my 'Mommy.' She was pretty, and unlike us, she was fair-skinned. She also had sandy-brown hair, messy like ours but much longer, and her eyes were the warmest brown. She was so caring and smart, too. Whenever I fell down and cried, she was always there to help. She used to tell me stories and made those awesome chocolate chip cookies…and she had this great laugh. She was always happy, nothing ever got her down. She absolutely enjoyed life…

"What happened to her?" Sakaki asked quietly.

I exhaled. "She got sick...It happened when I was just barely four years old. Dad once said my mom was very fragile, but that never bothered her. One day, she caught a cold and it didn't seem too bad at first. Then it got worse, soon she was unable to stand and had to stay in bed. My Dad said I was always nearby for her. I brought her all sort of things from outside like flowers and leaves and told her the news about my days. I remember this one moment very clearly…"

"It was noon, I was at her bed as usual. I was telling her something that I don't remember now...but I remember later telling her that she would get better soon, I was very confident. Then she put a hand on my head and told me, 'It's always so nice to hear all those stories you tell me, now it's my turn to tell you…' I asked her 'What is it?' and she added, 'I want to tell you, that no matter what happens, now and in the future, that I want you to be strong…'"

"_Strong?"_

"_Yes…" my mom sighed. "A strong and good person…"_

"_Like you?" I smiled._

_My mother chuckled. "…Be a strong and good person, won't you?"_

"_I will!" I promised. "You can count on it!"_

_She smiled, patting my hair. "Ryuu Kagura…I love you…"_

"...And she just kept getting sicker. Eventually, I wasn't allowed to see her which hurt me...and I know it hurt her, too, but she was strong. Then she was gone. I don't remember crying, I don't think I ever did. It didn't feel like she had really left. I always felt like she'd been always there and would always be. I never forget her and her words…I won't miss her because I know she's still here with us…"

I sighed. "I'll always love her…"

I heard a whimper and faced Sakaki, whom was tearing up. "Sakaki?"

"K-Kagura…" she gasped. "I…"

"It's okay, Sakaki," I reassured, placing a hand on her arm.

"I-I used to have a family…" she sniffled.

"What?" I blinked.

"My m-mother was not always so strict…like what she is now…" It could be told that Sakaki was struggling to tell her story. "I…we had m-many fun times t-together…I n-never thought bad things could happen to us…then it happened…"

"What happened?"

Sakaki's expression hardened. "A man…Father…"

I said nothing.

"It happened a long time ago…when I was just a child, too…" Sakaki continued.

_It was a nice sunny weekend, it could not possibly foretell what was to happen next. I was in the kitchen with my mother, I was playing with a stuffed white cat which she had given me - my first ever cat._

"_My, you do like your cats don't you?" my mother chuckled as she washed the dishes._

_I just nodded and resumed petting it._

"_I only wish we could get you a real kitten," she sighed, shaking her head. "But my allergies…"_

_Just then the phone rang and she picked it up. "Yes, who is it?"_

_There was a moment of silence as I watched her smile turn into a frown. Her normally warm eyes turned narrow and cold. _

"_I see…" she whispered. "Yes…of course, I'll tell him…"_

_She hung up and returned to the dishes, but I could sense something was wrong. Lately, although I didn't think too much of it at that time, my parents had been acting on very tense grounds...and it was just about to explode._

_Moments later, Father returned. At that instant, I felt something new and very scary for the first time – my mother's chilling aura. I grew nervous, but Father seemed oblivious._

"_Matsudo…" my mother began. "I have just received a very intriguing call…"_

"_Oh…from who?"_

"_A woman which I believe you haven't introduced to me properly," my mother replied. "Who is she?"_

_There was silence, and I could feel my mother's aura grow more intense, nearly blazing. _

_Frightened, I hid inside the pantry. What came next was awful._

_What started out as few mumblings of which I could only catch few words turned into a shouting match._

"_You bastard!" my mother screamed. I'd never heard her yell like that, ever. Nor had I seen her lose her control, it absolutely scared me. She was throwing the wet dishes at him, calling him filthy names and utters of 'betrayal' and 'our daughter' and 'What about us?'_

_I sat still in the dark corner, clutching my stuffed cat._

_After what seemed like hours, the shouts subsided and I heard heavy footsteps as Father left. Quietness followed, broken only by small sobs from my mother. Then she found me and pulled me into a hug. _

_I never saw him again._

_As we adjusted to our new life, my mother began acting differently. She became less warmer and became a strict and commanding woman. I am sure it was to do with Father. She refused to let me out of sight, yet at same time, she didn't allow me to get any closer. She began working harder so she could support us, but it just made her even more distant. _

_She also became distrusting of certain people. There was that one time when I was bit older, I met a boy. We were in the grocery and he was pretty nice but then my mother spotted us. She quickly pulled me away from him and told me these very words. "Never trust them - you'll only get hurt in the end, do you understand?!"_

_And I understood. My mother was hurt. I wanted to do something to help her but I was afraid. Afraid to even hug her. I couldn't make friends because I always was so nervous about what my mother would think...and my appearance didn't help any matters._

_So the only comfort I ever got was from my stuffed animals._

_It just kept getting harder for us, to the point of her now despising the things I did and expecting the best from me. She was in control – she needed it. It was getting on my nerves, but I just kept quiet._

_My mother had now become a stranger to me…_

"...But I never stopped believing," Sakaki sighed. "I never gave up the fact that my mother would once day be herself and things would be just as they used to be."

I could only stare. It now explained many things…why she had cried when my dad hugged her…why she so often had balked away from inviting me over…why Sakaki had been stricken for an impression of a lone wolf…

"I still do," Sakaki trembled.

"Oh, Sakaki…" I hugged her.

"Kagura…" she faced me, sniffling. "You came into my life, you saved me."

She then kissed me with such pure bliss – her loving kiss.

"I love you…" she exhaled. "I wish I could've done something for my mother…then maybe things wouldn't have been so bad…b-but…I wasn't strong enough…"

She wept into my shoulder.

I could only watch then I began stroking her hair.

"Sakaki…you're only human…"


	20. Summer

Together Always

Summer

Author's Note: Yay! It's summertime! We now follow the girls through swimsuits, trips, and beaches. Also, our old friends make a return!

Finally, I got this next chapter done but I'm little concerned I might've slipped up somewhere due to its length and the time it took me.

This is quite a long chapter - so hope you enjoy!

Warning: Slight Suggestive Content

* * *

_Inside an empty house, a lone woman sits in her den, looking over old photo books and recalling fond memories she once had. Suddenly, the phone rings. She looks up and after a moment's pause, starts towards it. She stops however when the recording begins on the answering machine. _

"_You have reached the Sakaki residence - I am not here at the moment but do feel free to state your call."_

"_Well…Sakaki, if you get this," replies a child's voice. "I was wondering if you'd like to go to the summer house again this weekend? Please do reply soon!"_

_The machine clicks off, its tapes to a standstill. The woman stares at it silently, the only action she can bring herself to do._

--

"Kagura…"

I let out a giggle as Sakaki leaned over to kiss my cheek, her fingers tickling at my head.

"Sakaki…"

I turned to her, reaching up to touch the white daisy she had tied to my hair. I felt its soft petals then smiled at her, she smiled in return. I kissed her lips affectionately.

We were at our usual spot at the park, by the pond; it'd been a long time since we last went there.

"You want some grapes?" Sakaki asked.

"Sure," I nodded, lying back on the grass.

She then picked up a cluster of green grapes from the picnic basket next to us, plucking one out.

"Here you go," she said as she popped it into my mouth.

"Mm, thanks," I replied, chewing.

"Mm…" she sighed, nuzzling at my neck and shoulders. "It's a nice day out…"

"Yes it is," I agreed, looking up at the bright warm sun hovering overhead. "I'm glad you suggested we come back here."

Just when we were kissing, we heard a voice call to us and looked up to see Chiyo waving at us.

"Hey Chiyo!" I sat up, raising my arm. "It's been a while! Come'n!"

"Kagura! Sakaki!" she replied, stepping down the small hill with her blue bike at her side. "It's so great to see you again!"

"Same here!" I chuckled lightly as she bowed. "So, what brings you here?"

"I was just on my way when I saw you," Chiyo said. "I wanted to ask you something. You see, my parents said it would be okay to go to our beach house again this weekend!"

"Really?" I grinned, intrigued.

"Yep, so I was going to ask you if you'd like to come," Chiyo added.

"Yeah, count me in!" I pumped a fist while Sakaki nodded.

"Yay, that's good to hear!" Chiyo smiled. "Well, I'd better get on my way, see you later!"

"We will!" I replied as I watched her push her bike back up the mound then disappear down the sidewalk.

"Won't this be fun?" I exhaled as I leaned back against the tree. "We'll be going to the beach again! This calls for some shopping!"

Indeed, there were new swimsuits I just had to try out…Plus it would be fun with both of us together…

"…" Sakaki stared at me for a moment then she placed a hand on my cheek.

"Hmm?" I blinked.

"…Kagura?" she blushed pinkly. "…Have you ever considered a full tan?"

"Eh?" I felt my face go warm. "W-Well…"

"…You'd look good…" she sighed, brushing her fingers down to my neck then to my right arm, which gave me the shivers.

"Oh..."

"…Yes?" she asked.

"Well…it is a nice thought…" I murmured. "But how will I get it? I don't have swimming this summer."

"…" she tilted her head, smiling slightly. "You could try sunbathing…"

"Ah?" My face grew even hotter. "B-but where? In the yard??"

"No…" she shook her head. "There's a very good spot in your bedroom, every morning, the sun shines right into it. It's perfect for the tan."

"H-How do you know that?"

She giggled. "Because Mayaa sleeps there all the time."

"…All right, sounds good to me," I smiled.

--

_It's been months since I last saw her._

Kaorin lay sprawled over her bed, having no desire to move at all today. Her mother had tried to call her down for breakfast but no dice. Today was just one of those days.

Kaorin exhaled and rolled back on her pillow.

_I know Sakaki's moved on without me and she doesn't need me…but…I still can't help feeling like this…_

Suddenly, her door clicked open and Chihiro, her longtime friend, walked inside.

"Hi Kaorin! Thought I'd stop by," she waved as she shut the door. "How are you feeling?"

"Chihiro…" Kaorin sighed gloomily. "Not too good…"

"Oh, I see," she nodded understandingly then she took a chair beside the bed. "It's her again, isn't it?"

"Yes," Kaorin looked away. "It's still so hard…"

"I know," Chihiro picked up a book from the nearby shelf.

"Every time I think about her…" Kaorin mumbled. "I always get this feeling I could've done it if I talked to her more…but then Kagura got involved…"

Chihiro was listening intently, her elbows on her lap.

"Now it'll never happen, Sakaki will never love me…" Kaorin trembled, raising her hands to her face. "Never!"

"That can't be true," Chihiro sat up.

"What?" Kaorin blinked. This was the first time she'd heard her speak out during a Sakaki situation – all she had done was just to be quiet and comfort.

"Uh…I know I've never really said anything before…" she added. "But I do worry…and…it's my job to cheer you up, isn't it?"

Kaorin was silent, staring at her.

"What I'm saying…" Chihiro placed a hand on Kaorin's. "About Sakaki not loving you…Well, that's just absurd."

"What ever could you mean by that?" Kaorin asked.

"You still can be friends with her," Chihiro smiled encouragingly. "You are! At least, she may not love you romantically, but...I'm sure she'll love you as a friend."

"Oh, Chihiro…" Kaorin breathed. "You really think so?"

"I don't think so, I believe so," Chihiro replied. "Now, part of being a friend is to take that person's feelings in consideration."

"You're right!" Kaorin rose, clenching her fists. "I'll do my best to be happy for Sakaki when she's happy!"

"That's the spirit!" Chihiro chuckled.

Just then the phone rang and Kaorin picked it up.

"Yes?" she answered.

"Hi Kaorin!" Chiyo said from the other end.

"Chiyo! It's been a while!" Kaorin gasped. "What's the occasion?"

"Well, my parents said we could go to the summer house again this weekend," Chiyo explained. "So I've been calling around and was wondering if you'd like to come too."

"Who's coming?" Kaorin asked.

"You know, the usual…Osaka, Tomo, Yomi, Kagura, Sakaki…"

"…I see…"Kaorin then glanced back at Chihiro. "…would it be all right if Chihiro could come too?"

"Eh?" Chihiro looked up.

"Sure, I don't see why not!" Chiyo giggled.

"Ah, then we're in," Kaorin smiled. "Thanks!"

"No problem, I'll see you then!" the phone clicked off.

"You're taking me along…?" Chihiro whispered as Kaorin faced her.

"Yep," Kaorin nodded. "Friends don't leave each other, do they?"

"…" Chihiro smiled, tear-eyed. "T-Thanks…"

--

"So, what's the news today?" My dad asked as we returned home from our picnic.

"Well, we had a nice time," I said as I set down the basket. "We're going to the mall later."

"Oh? What for?"

"We're going to get new swimsuits," I replied excitedly. "We'll be going to Chiyo's summer house this weekend!"

"Ah, that again?" he grinned, sipping his coffee mug. "Well, have fun!"

"We will," I nodded as I grabbed my wallet from the kitchen counter while Sakaki took a tangerine from the fruit bowl.

"Before you go…" my dad stood from the table and walked towards us. "I'll treat you, Sakaki."

He reached inside his pocket and handed over a yen note, Sakaki looked at it in surprise.

"Oh no! I couldn't…" she shook her head then sighed. "…Thank you…"

"It's no problem," he smiled. "It's better than having to drag along...for me, at least. When Kagura was younger, it was a pain having to go shopping with her…"

"Dad…don't you start…" I warned.

"There was that time when Kagura was just becoming a young lady," he continued, beaming. "We went to the bra aisle and she was kind of nervous, so I…"

"WE'RE LEAVING!" I blurted out, pulling Sakaki along.

"But…" she started.

"No!" I cut in. "Let's go!"

"Um…bye…" she waved back.

"Have fun girls," my dad chuckled, waving.

"Phew, that was a close call," I exhaled as we made it back outside on the street.

"What did he do?" Sakaki asked curiously.

"Um…" I blushed. "That's not important…"

"Aw, ok…" Sakaki shrugged then she began peeling her tangerine.

As we walked further on, a thought struck me and I turned to Sakaki.

"Oh, I never asked…what's your favorite color?"

"Hmm?" Sakaki blushed lightly, nibbling on her slice. "Oh…Orange…"

"Ah, orange?" Weird, I would've taken her to be a type for the color red.

"Yes…and yellow…and red…" Sakaki mumbled. Well, here you have it.

"How come?" I asked, interested.

"…Because they're pretty and bright…" Sakaki smiled gently. "I like them…they remind me of lot of things…apples, oranges, lemons…roses, marigolds, daffodils…"

"It suits you perfectly," I smiled.

"…Thank you," Sakaki sighed. "What's yours?"

"Ah…" I stretched my arms behind my head. "Well…I like colors that remind me of the ocean…something that makes me feel refreshed…"

"I see," she nodded agreeably. "It fits you, too."

"…Thanks…"

We soon crossed an overpass and reached our destination in the district ahead. Inside the mall, I looked over the map by the entrance.

"Well, the swimsuits should be somewhere up one floor, let's go," I pointed to the escalators and Sakaki nodded, following me.

Upon reaching the floor, we could see it was packed with various types of swimsuits known to all.

"Wow, I just don't know where to start first!" I exclaimed, looking around. "Let's go check them out."

We separated and I walked through between rows, pondering which would look best on me. It may not look like it but I actually take clothes shopping quite seriously, I do like to wear clothes that are comfy but also look good on me. I looked back to where Sakaki was searching through the hangers. It would be nice to find something that suited her a lot as well…

Immediately, as I rounded a corner, I saw a particular one that caught my real attention. I picked it up, grinning.

"Perfect!"

Sakaki was holding up a red two-piece when I came running up to her, calling her name. "Sakaki! I found something great for you!"

She blushed red when she saw what I was holding up. It was a string bikini, a bold orange bordered with black.

"Are you sure?" she whispered.

"Yes, I think it would look really nice on you," I promised, placing it in her hands. "Why don't you try it out? I'd love to see how you look!"

"…Okay," she nodded then she headed into the dressing rooms.

After few minutes or so, she peered out. "Kagura?"

"Hey!" I waved. "Come out, let's see you!"

She hesitated for a moment then stepped into full view. I couldn't help the major blush that soon followed. The bikini was at the same time sexy, yet very tasteful on her, fitting in with her curves. It matched well with her long ebony black hair and fair skin.

"You look _amazing_," I breathed.

"You think so?" Sakaki checked in the mirror beside us. "Mm…you were right, it does look good on me…"

"Of course!" I stepped up to her, looking into the mirror too. "Didn't I say it would?"

"…Thanks," Sakaki smiled with a slight blush.

I glanced at her, taking in the view of her bikini. On an impulse, I patted her behind.

"Oh!" she looked at me then we broke into giggles.

"You really do look good," I sighed, hugging her waist.

"…" She placed a hand on my back. "Since you got me this, I want to do the same in return…"

I stared at her then nodded, smiling. "Yeah, makes sense, I trust you'll get me a good one."

She bowed her head then went back to change into her normal clothes before setting off on her search. I stuck my hands in my jeans pockets as I waited, shuffling my feet. Eventually Sakaki reappeared, showing off her choice.

"Oh, that _is_ good!" I commented admiringly.

It was a nice looking bikini, the top being in navy blue and white horizontal stripes while the bottom was a solid blue.

"Thanks Sakaki," I took it. "I can't wait to try it on!"

I darted into the rooms while Sakaki stayed behind. I stripped down and tried on the new swimsuit.

"Not too bad…not bad at all…" I commented as I looked over myself. "This'll definitely compliment my tan…"

I'd kept Sakaki waiting long enough, so I headed out to show her…but she was nowhere in sight.

"Sakaki?" I looked around. Where had she gone off to?

Then I saw them – Sakaki and a couple of boys that couldn't have been any older than us. I watched as they began talking with her, making all sorts of flirty comments which was causing Sakaki to be nervous. I frowned. I didn't like how they were trying to make the moves on her _especially _when she was already called for: by me!

I stomped towards them and pushed at the chest of the nearest boy, distancing him away from Sakaki.

"Hey! Wha?" he shouted. "What do ya think you're doin'?!"

"Shove off, buster!" I gritted my teeth. "She's already with someone for your information!"

"Eh? Who?" he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Me," I said bluntly.

"What?" his eyes went wide.

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" I stood up to him, he was bit taller than me.

"Oh no, no…" he waved his hands frantically. "No, ma'am!"

"Then get lost!" I snapped at them. "Find yourselves a new hobby!"

They disappeared and I turned back to Sakaki, hugging her. "You okay Sakaki?"

"Y-Yes…" she blinked, still shocked from the encounter. "Kagura…I never thought…"

"Uh…well yeah…" I felt my cheeks go warm. "…I didn't like the way those creeps were hitting on you…"

"Ah…" she sighed, smiling softly. "Kagura…you're so good…"

She cuddled back then noticed my bikini. "Ah…your swimsuit…"

"Ah, right!" I stepped back, twirling about. "It fits great on me! Sakaki, you have excellent taste!"

"Yes…" Sakaki turned pink. "You look c-cute…"

"Is that really all you can say about everything?" I smirked at her.

"…" Sakaki fell quiet, bit embarrassed.

"Aw, it's okay," I reassured. "I really do appreciate it."

"…" Sakaki faced me, still pink. "…You're welcome."

Soon, I changed back in my old clothes and we went down to the counter to buy our swimsuits.

"I'll pay for yours," I offered, putting down Sakaki's orange bikini piece.

"Ah, I'll do the same for yours, too," she replied.

We giggled then took home the bags and receipts.

"I really can't wait till our friends see us!" I said once we neared my house. "We'll look so cool!"

"Mm-hmm," was Sakaki's simple response.

When we stepped in, we were greeted by my dad.

"Guess what?" he grinned. "Chiyo called earlier, wondered if I'd like to come along and keep an eye on things."

Immediately, I felt sick. "Oh, please don't tell me…"

"Yep! How could I turn it down?" he chortled. "I'll be coming, and we can do lot of things! Won't that be fun?"

I buried my face into my hands, slumping over. My dad…with us…an all-girls outing…I couldn't even imagine all sorts of embarrassment he'd bring out in front of our friends…

Suddenly, the summer house trip didn't seem all that exciting anymore…

And know what was Sakaki's response? She clapped her hands, saying: "Yes!"

Speak for yourself, Sakaki. You're not the one whom grew up with him…

--

Next morning arrived shortly enough; we still had few more days before we started on our weekend trip.

For the first time this summer, Sakaki did the waking up.

"Kagura?" she called, shaking my shoulders gently. "Hey, Kagura…"

Groggily, I sat up and rubbed my eyes, yawning. "Hey Sakaki, what's with the early date?"

"Your tan, remember?" Sakaki reminded.

"Oh yeah, that!" I exclaimed, looking around. "So where…"

"You should lie over there," Sakaki pointed to the wide window across my room. Sunlight gleamed through its open blinds, creating a nice rectangle on the floor – perfect for sunbathing. Mayaa was already sleeping under its light, curled up on the blanket Sakaki had spread out for me.

"Oh, Mayaa," she sighed, crouching near him. "If you don't mind, Kagura needs this spot."

He gave out an annoyed meow as Sakaki shooed him away and hid under my bed, his eyes peering at us from the shadows.

"Here you go," Sakaki said after she had smoothed out the sheet.

"Um, thanks," I replied, bit unsure about this.

She went to lock the door while I undressed, so we could be assured of my privacy. I sat back down, crossing my arms over my bare chest. Despite the whole trust level we both had, I still couldn't help feeling bit nervous. Perhaps it was the fact I was self-conscious that I was naked while Sakaki wasn't.

Sakaki seemed to sense this and bent down. "Should I take off my clothes too?"

"Ah…n-no that's not necessary…" I started but Sakaki was already stripping off her shirt.

"That ok?" she then sat beside me, smiling lightly. "You should get in the sun now."

"Ah…okay…" I settled under the sunlight, immediately feeling its soft warmness. "Oh, it does feel good. I see why Mayaa likes this spot."

As I relaxed on my back, I looked up to see Sakaki's hovering face.

"So…tell me…" I sighed. "Why did you suggest I get the tan? You seemed so serious about it too…"

"Oh…well…" Sakaki blushed a deep pink. "Well…"

"Yeah, what is it?" I sat up.

"Um…" Sakaki blushed even deeper. "Um…"

"Hey, it's okay!" I reassured her. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about!"

"Um…" Sakaki fiddled with her fingers as she glanced sideways, her face still red. "Well…it's that…um…I-I…"

"Oh, don't tell me!" I grinned, getting the meaning. "Does it turn you on?"

"!" Sakaki went the reddest I'd seen her go, covering her mouth. That certainly confirmed my answer.

"Aha, it's okay," I chuckled. "There are lots of things I love about you too, like your long hair…"

I reached out for her trailing hair, running my fingers through it.

"…" Sakaki sighed, letting down her hands. "I really like it when you're dark…it looks very good on you and…it also reminds me of nice things…"

"Like what?" I asked.

"Um…" Sakaki blushed again. "…Caramel…I like caramel…"

"Ooh…I see…" I nodded, looking at my arm. "I suppose when it's tan, it does have that sort of color…"

Sakaki smiled then she kissed my neck. "Also, your skin is really soft…"

Again with the blush. "T-thanks…so is yours…"

Sakaki giggled, nuzzling me.

"…You know if you keep doing that, I won't be able to get that tan," I told her.

"Oh, sorry," Sakaki pulled away.

"It's ok," I laid back down, shutting my eyes. "Mm…"

Sakaki stared at me for a moment then kissed again before settling close to me, dozing off as well.

This would become routine for the days that followed till our weekend trip.

--

Finally, the day arrived; we packed our bags and got in my dad's gray sedan which he would be driving to the beach. We found out that Mayaa was allowed to come and so we spent time in the backseat with him while my dad drove towards Chiyo's place.

Eventually we reached the driveway and we stepped out to meet Chiyo.

"Great, everybody's here!" Chiyo smiled.

I looked up to see our friends waiting on the doorstep – Osaka, Yomi, Tomo…We hadn't seen them in weeks. Then I saw Kaorin and her friend, Chihiro there as well. Even Miss Kurosawa and Yukari were here. This would definitely be fun.

We made our greetings and Kaorin began blushing as Sakaki walked up to her.

"H-hi S-Sakaki…" Kaorin stuttered. She still couldn't help feeling nervous around her former crush.

"Hi Kaorin," Sakaki smiled.

Kaorin gasped, watching her leave to greet Osaka. _She was actually smiling…?_

"Hey Kagura!" Tomo patted my back rather hard. "Long time, no see!"

"Yeah, it's been a while," I nodded.

"So…" Tomo leaned in close, elbowing my arm. "Did you get any action yet this summer?"

Blushing furiously, I turned away. "That's none of your business!"

"Why do you keep asking those questions?" Yomi muttered.

"What? Can't a girl be curious?" Tomo raised her hands.

"Ugh…" Yomi sighed, shaking her head.

"Times sure have changed," My dad blinked. "It used to be only guys who did that sort of talk."

"No, that's just Tomo," Yomi corrected.

"Okay!" Chiyo called out for our attention. "On our next beach house trip, we have two new people joining us – Chihiro and Kagura's dad, Akio!"

"Hi, it's very nice to be here," Chihiro greeted politely.

"Hey everyone!" My dad grinned, "We'll have a great time, won't we?"

"Ah!" Tomo was aghast. "We can't have a man coming with us! He'll cramp our style!"

"We have a style…?" Yomi glared.

"She does have a point," Yukari rubbed her chin.

"I don't think it's a bad idea," Miss Kurosawa smiled lightly.

"Heheh!" Yukari wrapped an arm around her neck, chuckling. "Only YOU would say that!"

"You be quiet!" Miss Kurosawa blushed.

"Oh…" my dad looked around then faced Tomo, grabbing his face. "Oh! I didn't know there were some requirements involved!"

I let out a gasp. I knew what was coming next…

"So, what is it I have to do?" he tapped his chin. "Should I make myself look like a lady? Tease my hair? Put on lipstick? Perhaps stuff some tissues under my shirt?"

_No..no…_I trembled.

"I can do a pretty good girl impression, too!" he cleared his throat then said in a high-pitched voice, waving his finger around. "Oh no, you didn't!"

This caused the group to break into giggles and Tomo faced me with a grin. "On second thought, we should bring him, he'll be fun!"

I could only groan, burying my face in my hands. This is not happening! This is not happening!

After I composed myself, Miss Kurosawa called for the seating arrangements.

"Okay," my dad nodded. "I can take about three more people besides Sakaki and Kagura..."

We then noticed Chiyo had disappeared and saw she was already inside the sedan.

"Um…I mean two," my dad looked around. "Anybody here want to drive with us?"

"I-I do," Kaorin spoke up. "Um…if that's all right with you."

"I'll come too," Chihiro smiled.

"Then it's settled!" my dad grinned. "Let's get seated and we can start the race!"

"What?" Miss Kurosawa gasped. "Oh no!"

Yukari slowly turned around, revealing a mischievous smile. "Is that a challenge?"

"Maybe it is!" my dad replied.

"Ah, you're on!" Yukari dashed off to the blue car. "Let's get started!"

"Don't you dare!" Miss Kurosawa yelled after her and soon they were caught in a struggle.

"Well, let's get in," my dad said, climbing back into his driver's seat.

Sakaki then headed over to the passengers' seats, pushing down one so Kaorin and Chihiro could fit into the back.

"T-thank you…" Kaorin mumbled as Sakaki helped her in.

"No problem," was all Sakaki said.

I got on the same row with Chiyo and Mayaa, buckling up.

"See you," Sakaki whispered, pecking my cheek.

Kaorin watched from behind, unaffected.

Sakaki then got in the front, next to my dad. After we all had been safely belted in, he started up the engine.

"Dad…are you sure about this?" I muttered, leaning forward. I was concerned about our friends. I had just seen how Osaka had turned pale on the race comment from earlier.

"No worries!" my dad reassured. "If I have it right, I sense Kurosawa'll be fighting to stop Yukari, which'll then give us a head start."

I had to admire that plan. "Dad, you're brilliant."

"A-Are you a safe driver?" Chiyo asked timidly.

"Sure am, don't worry about it!" he grinned.

He then drove off the driveway and out onto the street, leaving the other group in the dust.

On the drive, I stared out at the passing streetlights, thinking about what Sakaki and me would do once we arrived. Soon, I was starting to get drowsy after a long time of looking at the scenery and listening to the soft hum of the car engine. I rested my head on Chiyo whom had also fell asleep, sighing contently.

Sakaki glanced back and giggled lightly, the scene was just so cute…

"It's always been like that with Kagura since she was a kid," my dad said, keeping his eyes on the road. "Long drives like this always sends her straight to sleep…"

"Mm…" Sakaki nodded, still gazing at us. "…She's special to me…"

She then reached out and touched my leg. My eyes closed, I smiled at this gentle contact.

Meanwhile, Kaorin and Chihiro were chatting in the back. Well actually, Chihiro was doing most of the talking as Kaorin was lost in her thoughts.

"Hmm? Something all right, Kaorin?" Chihiro asked, noticing that her friend was very quiet.

"Oh," Kaorin blinked then looked at her. "Yeah…it's just that I was thinking about Sakaki…"

"Oh," Chihiro leaned back on her seat. "I hope they're not sad thoughts."

"No," Kaorin shook her head. "It's that…Sakaki seems different somehow…"

"How so?"

"I can't really explain it…" Kaorin murmured. "But…she seems somewhat…more positive…"

"I see," Chihiro nodded.

"She was smiling," Kaorin turned away. "She's never smiled before…"

"That is news," Chihiro commented. "But I wouldn't worry too much over it, we're off to the beach to have fun!"

"Yes, I guess you're right, Chihiro…" Kaorin smiled lightly.

Yet, Sakaki remained in her mind for the rest of the trip.

--

"We're here!"

I awoke to see the glistening ocean past the small woods then looked to the front where I could see the beach house up ahead. My dad soon slowed to a stop and we stepped out of the car, taking in the much needed fresh air. Mayaa bounded out after us, darting into the tall grass and scattering a flock of sparrows in the process.

"Hi Kagura," Sakaki greeted, kissing briefly as she held me.

"Hey…" I chuckled, reaching up to return it.

"I'll go ahead and unlock the door, okay?" Chiyo peered out from the front of the sedan before running over to the house.

"Looks like Miss Kurosawa's group still have yet to arrive," my dad squinted at the road, shielding his eyes from the midday sun. "I suppose we should bring our bags in and just wait around for them before the vacation gets started."

So we did, after dropping off our bags in the living room we went back outside to sit on the wooden porch steps. While my dad busied himself with the unloading of the ice coolers and Chiyo checked over the rooms inside, we watched the scenery before us.

As the warm sunlight glowed on us, I could see the slight wind rustling through the trees and grass and hear the tinkling of the wind chime behind us. I leaned on her shoulder, intertwining my fingers in hers.

"Nice weather, isn't it?" I sighed. "I hope it stays like this for tomorrow."

"Same here," Sakaki kissed my forehead.

And Kaorin would stare at us quietly from her spot near the woods.

As it grew darker, we saw the blue van come into sight a last. Its yellow headlights shining the way, it soon pulled up to a stop next to my dad's car.

"Finally, we're here!" came the grumble of Yukari whom stepped out on the left side. "You drive way too slow!"

"It's about being a safe and good driver!" Miss Kurosawa retorted, following her out. "Neither of which you are!"

"Bah," Yukari scoffed. "You just don't know how to live…"

After the teachers came our friends, Yomi, Tomo, and Osaka, all whom were looking well which was a relief.

"How was your trip?" I asked as they met with us.

"After a good few minutes, Kurosawa finally got the upper hand and drove us here," Yomi replied.

"You should've seen it though!" Tomo chortled. "It was wild!"

"I see," I nodded as we turned to walk back to the house.

"Hey, everybody's here!" my dad waved at us, Chiyo standing beside him. "I trust you had a good trip?"

"We certainly did," Miss Kurosawa smiled.

"No, we didn't," Yukari coughed, causing the gym teacher to frown at her.

"Well, while we were waiting for you…" my dad pointed inside, "…We cooked up dinner."

"You did?" I looked up. Come to it, I was pretty hungry…

"Yep, come dig in!"

"Great! I'm starving!" Tomo dashed in, Yomi and Osaka after her.

Sakaki called for Mayaa to appear and the kitten stepped out towards us, rubbing against our legs before she picked him up. Once inside, she put him down, allowing him to start his free wander of the house. Afterwards, we joined our group for dinner.

During the meal, we talked about our summers so far and my dad behaved himself for once, throwing in couple of jokes instead of embarrassing notes about me.

Then Sakaki offered me a bite of her hamburg steak and I accepted it. Immediately, she was kissing me.

"Sakaki…" I whispered as she broke away, looking around shyly at the table. Everyone was staring, especially the teachers.

"Your girlfriend needs to know better manners," my dad murmured, sipping his coffee.

"Err…are we missing anything?" Miss Kurosawa blinked.

I blushed while Sakaki just smiled. "Yes…we're together."

She stroked my hair then kissed my cheek.

"Oh…really?" Miss Kurosawa gasped, smiling. "In that case then, I'm very happy for you two!"

I had to smile at this. For a long time, Miss Kurosawa had always been a helpful and encouraging teacher to us both so it was great to hear that she was fine with us.

"So…" Yukari smirked. "Did you get any action yet?"

We turned red-faced, the other girls broke into giggles except for Osaka whom simply stared and Chiyo whom was just naïve. I could sworn I saw Kaorin twitch a bit though. My dad simply blinked.

"Honestly! You're a teacher!" Miss Kurosawa scolded her.

"Not anymore!" she reminded. "I'm just here tonight as one of your friends whom just happens to be older and wiser…so, tell us! Did you go for it?"

"There are children and a man here!" Miss Kurosawa hissed.

"I'll pretend I've gone deaf and heard none of that," my dad muttered, sipping again.

"Dad?" I asked.

"Can't hear you," he looked the other way.

"What are you talking about?" Chiyo looked around. "What is it?"

"Um, n-nothing…" Miss Kurosawa stammered. "Um…why don't you go to sleep? The sooner, the earlier we can go to beach."

"…Okay!" Chiyo nodded then she took her plate and walked off.

"Well, we should do the same as well…" Miss Kurosawa stood up from her seat, hoping to avoid this sort of conversation.

"No!" Tomo whined. "I like where this is going! Tell us!"

Yomi promptly smacked her upside her head. "Will you ever learn? That's just rude! You can't possibly expect an answer –"

"Yes."

All was quiet. I stared at Sakaki whom had just uttered the answer. My dad whistled casually, paying no mind at all.

"I can't believe you actually said it…" I blushed a deep red. "You of all people…"

Sakaki blushed as well. "S-sorry, but y-you shouldn't be so embarrassed to tell people we're in love."

"Yes, but did you really have to come out with such a straight answer?" I turned redder.

"…" Sakaki was now about the same shade as me. "…Your fault."

"Hey, how is that so?" I raised an eyebrow.

Sakaki mumbled. "You."

"Ah, that makes sense," I grinned then we kissed.

"So I see…" Yukari sighed, leaning on the table. "Wow, I feel so depressed, they did it first before I ever got the chance…"

"So are you satisfied now?" Miss Kurosawa frowned.

"Pretty much," Yukari exhaled then knowingly added. "But not as much as those girls and _you_."

Miss Kurosawa flushed pink. "That's enough!"

Tomo stared at us in awe then raised a hand. "I hereby dub you Queens!"

"Who's the king?" Osaka asked blankly.

"Oh gee…" Yomi face-palmed.

Kaorin and Chihiro just kept staring, having nothing to say at all on this news.

"Um…we should get going to sleep now…" I grabbed Sakaki's hand as we sat up. "Get ready for the beach after all."

I bade the group and my dad goodnight and headed upstairs to the room which we both would be sleeping in for the weekend, joined by Mayaa. We stepped in to see the Chiyo already asleep under her covers and tiptoed over to the other corner where our bed was. We crawled under the blanket; Sakaki cuddled close to me, kissing my neck and shoulders.

"I can't wait for tomorrow," she sighed.

"Me neither," I giggled, wrapping an arm across her waist.

Mayaa mewed, curling up at the foot of our bed.

I rested my head on Sakaki's chest, thinking about what fun we would have tomorrow before I dozed off.

--

"Wake up everyone!!" shouted a familiar voice.

We stirred awake to see Tomo banging on our door, calling for us to get ready for the beach. After she left, I stretched my arms then pecked Sakaki's cheek.

"Let's go show them what we've got," I grinned.

She nodded and we shut the door before changing into our swimsuits. I watched as Sakaki put on her bikini after me, blushing yet again as I saw how good she looked in it.

"You ready?" she asked, snapping me out of the daze.

"Oh yeah, let's go!"

We headed downstairs to meet with our friends whom were also already prepared for the beach.

"Wow, you guys look awesome!" Tomo exclaimed, admiring our swimsuits.

"Yes, you do look great!" Chiyo agreed.

"You've really tanned all over too!" Osaka commented.

"Yeah, I have!" I chuckled, checking my newly toned skin. "No tan lines either! Check for yourself!"

I slipped down a shoulder strap to prove it, they awed in response.

"So yeah," I smiled, tugging it into place. "It was Sakaki's idea."

"Yes," Sakaki blushed pinkly. "I also got Kagura her swimsuit while she got mine…"

"Wow, you really do work together on everything, don't you?" Yomi said.

"I see you've grown into them, too, Sakaki," Osaka stared. "But they're still big as always!"

Sakaki turned red, crossing her arms over her chest.

Then my dad stepped in, wearing a white T-shirt and green swim shorts.

"Everybody ready to go to the beach?" he grinned.

"Where's Miss Kurosawa and Yukari?" I asked curiously.

"They already left to get things ready," he replied. "So…everybody good to go?"

"Yeah!" we chorused.

And so in short, we were at the beach. Holding hands, Sakaki and I walked across the soft white sands, gazing at the glittering ocean ahead. I inhaled the salty yet refreshing air then turned to Sakaki.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" She nodded agreeably.

"Over here!" called out the voices of our teachers and we looked to see them sitting at the end of the beach, with their beach blanket, ice cooler, and beach umbrella all set up.

"Hey Miss Kurosawa, Yukari!" we waved back in greeting.

"Well, you just go have fun girls," my dad smiled as he walked up beside us. "I'll just be around."

"We will!" I promised and he set off to join the women. "So, what should we do?"

I looked around; for the moment it was just ourselves, my dad, and the rest of the gang. Tomo and Yomi were playing Frisbee while Osaka watched and Kaorin was idly chatting with Chihiro.

"Kagura! Sakaki!" Chiyo called out to us near the shore and we hurried over to her.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"I was thinking about making a castle," Chiyo smiled, pointing to the ground. "And I wondered if you'd like to help."

"Of course!" I knelt down, digging into the sand. "I've always to give this a try."

"You've never done one before?" Sakaki asked in surprise.

"Well…" I rubbed my neck. "Not really…all I've mostly wanted to do was just swim and stuff…never could really stay in one spot…"

"Ah, I see," Sakaki nodded as she squatted down, also pushing up the sand into mounds.

"But that's till I met you," I smiled, nuzzling her shoulder. "Now, I'll be glad to stay in one spot anytime with you."

I kissed her and we began work on our sandcastle. As we made the turrets and walls, Chiyo went off in search of seashells which we could use to decorate with. After we had completed the model, Chiyo returned with a nice handful of shells of various shapes and colors. We then fitted them and the end result was a well-crafted, but clumsily done sand castle.

"Not bad!" I approved, giving a thumbs-up. "We did a great job, guys!"

"I wish we could get a picture though!" Chiyo sighed, staring at our handiwork.

"Yeah…" I exhaled. "Too bad it won't last long when the tide comes in…"

Sakaki let out a sharp gasp and started digging out sand around the castle.

"What are you doing?" I asked perplexedly.

"Building a moat," was her simple response.

"…I don't think it'll help much against Mother Nature," I smiled weakly.

"…Oh," Sakaki sighed downheartedly, lowering her hands.

"But hey," I placed a comforting hand on her back. "We had fun making it, didn't we? That's what counts, right?"

"…Yes," Sakaki smiled lightly.

"I'm glad to hear that," I smiled back then looked over her crouching figure. On an impulse, I grabbed and tickled her sides, making her squeal with laughter.

"Tag! You're it!" I then made my dash across the beach. Sakaki stumbled for a second then sprinted after me, giggling all the way. I led her onto a wild chase, cutting through the beach and between our friends. As she chased me around a curve, she ran into Kaorin – literally.

"Oh sorry," Sakaki apologized, helping the fallen girl up. "You okay, Kaorin?"

"…Y-yes, I-I'm f-fine…" Kaorin stuttered when she saw whom was the culprit. "T-thanks Sakaki…"

"No problem," Sakaki replied, patting Kaorin's shoulder which made the girl blush. "Hope you're having fun, I'm going."

"Y-yes…see you…" Kaorin nodded shakily as she watched Sakaki resume her pursuit after me. She saw how Sakaki smiled and laughed as she ran. And she had been so warm towards her just then as well. There wasn't a sign of the seemingly tough, lone wolf nature she used to hold in her, anywhere, anymore.

_I suppose she really is happy…_Kaorin thought, smiling. _She is really enjoying herself now isn't she? She seemed so quiet and sad before but now…she's better…_

Eventually Sakaki caught up with me, tackling me to the sandy ground. We burst into laughter then she began the assault on my cheek down to my shoulders with her lips.

"Oh, Sakaki," I giggled. "Okay, you can kiss all you want later when there's nobody around."

"That's a promise," Sakaki smiled, kissing my cheek for the last time.

She then helped me up and we walked over to the adults to sit with them. Soon, it was no longer just us as more people began arriving and we couldn't kiss as much as we wished then. So all we did was either walk around on the beach and meet with the others when we felt like getting some sun or sit with our teachers and my dad and chit-chat.

As the boys began appearing though, I caught sight of my dad's frowning face and knew what would happen next. Before I had a chance to avoid it, my dad took off his shirt and slipped onto me, hiding my swimsuit completely.

"I'm not gonna have those boys gawking at you like that all day!" he crossed his arms, still staring disapprovingly at the crowding men.

"But Dad! This isn't fair!" I complained, tugging at the shirt. "Sakaki's just about bad as me and you're doing nothing!"

"That's because she's not my blood daughter," he replied. I groaned.

"It's okay," Sakaki sighed, hugging my waist. "I like looking at you all time, anyway."

"I appreciate the sentiment," I smiled. "But I still don't like the shirt."

Just then our friends returned, sitting with us.

"The beach's getting pretty crowded," Yomi muttered. "Do we have any lemonade?"

My dad opened up the cooler. "Sure, knock yourself out, there's also some soda and juice…anybody want watermelon?"

"Watermelon?" Tomo perked up, grinning. "Can I smash it up?"

"Sure, I don't see why not," my dad chuckled, lifting a large watermelon out which he then placed in front of us.

"Finally!" Tomo got to her knees. "As long last I shall be able to use my karate chop technique!"

This didn't bode well…

She raised her right hand high then yelled loudly as she swung it down hard onto the fruit. Needless to say, it ended painfully.

"Ow!" Tomo wailed, clutching her throbbing hand. "I didn't think it would be so tough!!"

"Tomo…" Yomi could only shake her head.

"Well, since the karate chop didn't work," my dad smiled genuinely. "How about a bat instead?"

Eventually, the watermelon was split and we shared parts amongst us. Sakaki had taken the biggest and juiciest piece for us, so we immensely savored it together.

Full and content from our tasty lunch, we took a nap under the beach umbrella, cuddling each other.

--

Just as quickly as that morning arrived, night came shortly after and we'd tired ourselves out at the beach and sharing couple of stories back at the house. We retired to our beds, sorry that we were to return home tomorrow. At least, Sakaki would still be with me even then.

Despite the end of the weekend being near, Sakaki had just one more surprise in store for me…

"Kagura?"

Drowsily, I opened my eyes and saw darkness. I couldn't see Sakaki's face even though I could feel her gentle breath on my face.

"Wha-?" I began but she shushed me, putting a finger on my lips.

"Shh, I want to show you something," she whispered.

So I got up after her, following her quietly downstairs as not to disturb our sleeping friends and my dad. Once we were safely outside, I started to ask her why she had woken me up this late but she still motioned me to be quiet and led me down to the empty beach.

"Okay, what's this about?" I asked sleepily, yawning as we sat down on the cool sand.

"I want you to look at this," Sakaki sighed, tilting my face towards the murky ocean.

Only, it wasn't as murky dark as I expected it to be, it still glittered with light from the luminous moon reflected on its surface, joined by twinkling stars.

"…Wow," I breathed. "It is beautiful…"

"Keep watching," Sakaki leaned on my shoulders.

I stared at the horizon, scanning for any sign of interest. After a who knows how long search, I found nothing yet I kept trying since I could trust Sakaki to keep to her word. Just when I was beginning to grow tired from staring so long at the drifting water, I spotted something. It was only a brief glimpse to be sure, but I saw it. Then came more of them.

"Sakaki!" I exclaimed, grabbing her hand. "There's dolphins!"

"Porpoises," Sakaki corrected.

"Wow…they're amazing…" I exhaled as I watched them leap out of the ocean again and again, their dark forms gracefully silhouetted against the moon.

"How did you find about this?" I asked.

"…By chance, on my first visit here…" Sakaki twirled a finger in my hair. "I always had trouble sleeping, so on the first night I woke and went out to the beach…hoping it would calm me somehow…and it did indeed, that was when I first saw those magnificent animals…

"So, I found it much easier to sleep then and for the past years we've returned here, I've always gone down to the beach to watch them to help me calm…no one else has ever known this story until now…

"Kagura, you are like a porpoise," she stroked my hair, kissing tenderly. "You are active and yet you have never hurt anybody, a porpoise is a fun and gentle creature…"

"S-Sakaki," I swallowed, I could feel myself tearing up. "You say so many good things about me, I just don't know how –"

"Also…" I felt Sakaki growing heavier, she was starting to fall asleep. "You just…make me feel so…relaxed…"

With that she slid off me, her head resting on my lap. I stared at her then began petting her long hair as I watched the jumping porpoises in the distance. Eventually, I joined her in sleep as well.

--

I awoke to a strange sensation; the morning sun fully shining on us and the warm sand below us. As well as Sakaki still fast asleep on my legs. We'd dozed off outside on the beach. I felt we'd better hurry back to the house, so I prodded Sakaki awake.

"Sakaki?"

"Ngh?" she tilted her head up, her eyes half-open.

"We better get back. They're probably worried about us," I pointed.

"Oh...right…" Sakaki sat up, stretching her arms. "So…did you like last night?"

"Sakaki, I loved it," I smiled.


	21. New Start

Together Always

A New Start

Author's Note: Yahoo! We'll be following our girls from the end of their trip through a friend's farewell and new jobs up to their very own place before their first year of college begins! I hope you'll enjoy!

* * *

"There you are!" Tomo called out as we walked up to the house from the beach.

"Did you guys get busy last night?" she added with a smirk.

"Tomo!" I blushed embarrassedly.

"Honestly!" My dad placed a hand on his forehead. "Can't you just control yourselves even for a moment? I know you're like wild tigresses in heat but that doesn't –"

"Dad!" I rounded on him.

"Just messing with you," he chuckled, waving a hand.

"Seriously, nothing happened," I muttered. "We just went for a night's walk."

"That must've been nice," Yomi nodded as my dad left to check on things.

"But tell us!" Tomo jabbed my arm. "You got it on then, didn't you?"

I narrowed my eyes. "…Is that really all you can think about?"

"No!!" Tomo gasped in mock shock. "I think about other…stuff, too!"

"It shows," Yomi exhaled deeply.

"Still, it was only a walk and nothing else," I stated finally.

"Yeah, yeah…" Tomo walked off, figuring she wasn't going to get anything worthwhile out of this talk.

After she and Yomi had gone, Sakaki leaned in close.

"Kagura?" she whispered. "That kiss promise still stands, right?"

I giggled. "Yeah, when we get home…we'll see…"

"Oh, Kagura! Sakaki!" Chiyo greeted us as we reached the porch. "You're back, come have breakfast with us!"

"Sounds good!" I smiled, following her in.

Again, we were seated at the table with the group – save for Yukari whom was still sleeping – enjoying our pancakes. Sakaki was petting a content Mayaa on her lap as she ate.

"Kagura!" Tomo spoke up. "Your dad makes the best pancakes! What's his secret?"

"Ah…" my dad leaned an elbow on the tabletop. "The secret is…"

"Dad, please don't get weird," I muttered in warning.

"The secret is love!" Dad patted his chest.

I hung my head. "I spoke too soon..."

Miss Kurosawa swallowed the last of her meal, setting down her fork. "So girls, have you made any plans to get ready for college? You know, it's very important that you are prepared."

"Miss Kurosawa makes a good point," my dad nodded then he eyed us. "Right, Kagura?"

"Eheh…" I rubbed my neck. "Yeah, we really haven't got around to that yet…but we will! We just have to look into apartments and stuff..."

"Better get started soon," Miss Kurosawa noted. "It's not that far off."

"Hah!" Tomo picked up her glass. "I'm way ahead of you guys! I've now got a job _and _my eyes are already set on a place!"

"You do!?" I exclaimed at her. Everybody stared at her, only Yomi didn't seem that much surprised.

"…You say that as if it's a bad thing…" Tomo murmured.

"Ah, that's right," Osaka looked over at Chiyo. "Chiyo, you're going to America, right?"

"Ah?" Chiyo glanced up. "Oh, yes, I'm leaving next week…"

She sighed as she looked at her plate.

"That was one of reasons I wanted us to come back here, so we would together one more time before I had to leave…I wanted us to remember…"

We stared at her. It was one of the most mature sentences we'd heard her say.

Sakaki then placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hmm?" Chiyo blinked, looking up at her.

"…Please tell me when you leave," Sakaki gazed at her. "…I want to be there for you."

"Sakaki…"

"Yeah. Me, too," I smiled softly at her, resting my head on Sakaki's arm.

"I want to come as well," Osaka said as Chiyo turned to her. "We're your friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah, we'll be there," Yomi nodded.

"Yep!" Tomo added.

"Err…" Kaorin looked around awkwardly, considering she really wasn't an 'official' part of our group, but still she smiled. "Yes…that's right…"

"You guys…" Chiyo gasped, her eyes shining with tears. "Thank you!"

We all smiled at her. Then a new voice broke the tender moment of ours.

"Hey!!" Yukari said loudly, rubbing her eyes. "What's happening here? Ooh, that looks delicious!"

She snatched a pancake from the main plate, stuffing it into her mouth.

"So…" she mumbled, her mouth full. "What's up?"

After we had finished our breakfast and packed away our things, we started off for home. This time, Sakaki sat in the same row with me, allowing me to nap beside her.

Once we returned to the driveway in front of Chiyo's mansion, we stepped out to stretch and see our friends off. We knew that this wasn't a real farewell, though; we already decided to meet again for Chiyo's leave to America.

After their short break, Miss Kurosawa and Yukari climbed back into their car. My former gym teacher leaned out of her window, smiling at us.

"Kagura, Sakaki…" she sighed. "I wish the best for you and may you achieve your dreams."

"M-Miss Kurosawa…" I was touched. "T-thanks…"

"That is so corny!!" Yukari bemoaned, causing her to frown. "Seriously, can't you think of anything better?"

She then reached out of the other window, waving at us. "Just do your own thing! Don't be afraid to be bit crazy every now and then! Live young!"

She sat back down and soon they drove off.

"Wasn't that nice of them?" My dad grinned from inside the sedan.

"Yeah…" I sighed as Sakaki hugged me, nuzzling my cheek.

Meanwhile, Kaorin watched us from afar.

_She is really happy, isn't she? I suppose there's nothing to be worried about…if she's happy, I'm happy…That's all it matters…her happiness…_

With that in mind, Kaorin walked up to us. "Sakaki…?"

"Yes Kaorin?" Sakaki faced her, keeping her hands on my shoulders.

"I want to tell you that…" Kaorin gulped. "That I'm happy for you two…Be sure to treat each other good, all right?"

Sakaki smiled genuinely then placed her hands onto Kaorin's shoulders, causing her to blush slightly.

"It's great to hear that you've accepted us," she replied. "Kaorin…I'm sorry again that we can't be more than friends, but I wish you best of luck on finding that someone special in your future."

"…Thank you, Sakaki," Kaorin bowed her head. "Have a nice life together, won't you?"

"We will," I wrapped an arm around Sakaki's waist. "You have a good one, too."

"Thanks Kagura," Kaorin nodded then Chihiro called out to her which was her cue to leave. "Well, I suppose I'll see you around then…"

"See you," we waved her off.

After we had made our good-byes, we returned to our car and headed back to our home. Upon arrival, we grabbed our bags and went upstairs to my room where we both collapsed onto the bed.

"Ah, home sweet home!" I sighed blissfully as Sakaki cuddled close. "I don't care if the bed's bit small for us, it's still so comfy!"

"Kagura?" Sakaki kissed my cheek. "The promise?"

"Right…" I smirked. "Go ahead."

She smiled then kissed my lips before moving on to the rest of my face to my neck and shoulders, pulling down my shirt collar in process.

"Sakaki, Sakaki…" I giggled as she pecked me over. As I put my arms around Sakaki, I glanced at my right hand where I still bore the silver ring she had given me on New Year's Eve.

"…We'll be together always, won't we?" I smiled, stroking Sakaki's soft hair.

"Yes…" she took my hand, nibbling gently at my fingertips before she leaned in for another kiss. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

--

The day of Chiyo's departure to America arrived almost immediately. We joined our friends to the airport entrance where we would meet with the girl and see her off.

After some direction following and searching, we caught up with Chiyo at the counter along with her mother and their dog.

"Oh, Tadakichi," Sakaki crouched down before the large cage which he was in, reaching her fingers through the bars so he could lick them.

"Oh, hello!" Chiyo's mother greeted us with a warm smile. "You must be those nice girls I've heard so much about from Chiyo!"

"Yeah, pleased to meet you Mrs. Mihama," I bowed. This was the first time I'd seen her in person. She looked very much like Chiyo, only she was an adult and much more slender, her bright auburn hair reaching past her shoulders. "We're here to see Chiyo off."

"Yes, it just wouldn't be right for her to leave without a proper good-bye between us friends," Yomi nodded.

Chiyo sniffed. "T-thank you so much, again!"

"Wow, you really are nice people!" Mrs. Mihama sighed. "Chiyo's so lucky to have you."

"Yes, she is…" I agreed.

After her bags had been loaded and the dog safely seen off, we started for the waiting area, though Sakaki was still concerned for him.

"Will he be alright?" Sakaki asked quietly as we walked through the halls.

"I'm sure he will," Mrs. Mihama replied. "I hear airports take very good care of their passengers be it people or dogs."

She giggled; Sakaki stared at her for a moment then she brought up another question.

"Chiyo's father…where is he?"

"Oh!" the woman exclaimed, she didn't seem to have expected that. "Well, he's very busy but don't worry, he's made his farewells to Chiyo so he isn't all that bad!"

"Ah…" Sakaki tilted her head. "Um…what's he's like?"

"Why do you ask?" Mrs. Mihama answered curiously, but Sakaki didn't say anything. "Well anyway, he's very nice to be around, a great guy I assure you. I'm sure you'd like to meet him."

"Don't worry, I already did," was Sakaki's distant response.

"So have I," Osaka said suddenly, spacing out as well.

"Huh?"

"There's my plane," Chiyo spoke up as a large jet descended onto the runway, rolling up to the walkway into our zone. "Well, I guess it's time for me to leave…"

She sat up, picking up her white shoulder bag. "Goodbye all…"

She then hugged her mother. "Bye Mom."

"Bye Chiyo," her mother sighed, returning the hug. "Be careful and have a nice time in America, okay?"

"Yes, same from us," Yomi nodded.

"Yeah, good luck Chiyo!" Tomo gave her a thumbs-up. "Be sure to enjoy America, all right?"

"Yah, you have fun," Osaka hugged Chiyo lightly. "I know you can make it as a president!"

"Um…" Chiyo giggled weakly. "Osaka, I keep saying that's not possible…"

While all this had been going on, Sakaki watched silently. _Chiyo…_

Then she crouched down, pulling Chiyo into a tight hug. We all stared in bewilderment, I'd never known Sakaki to get this close to others aside from me…

"S-Sakaki?" was all Chiyo could say as she held her close.

"Chiyo…" Sakaki sighed. "For the past three years, you've been a real friend to me…my first ever friend. You've been so nice and helpful to me all these times, you helped me to be less shy and be more open, you helped me earn new friends, you helped me to keep Mayaa, you helped me have Kagura. There just isn't enough right words I can use to describe how much I've appreciated all that. Chiyo…P-please keep in touch with us…I-I'll miss you so much…"

She hugged tighter, tears running down her cheeks.

"S-Sakaki…I'll miss you, too!" Chiyo sobbed, clutching at her jacket. "I'll miss you all!"

Watching this, I felt myself beginning to tear up. The rest of girls turned somber, all looking ready to cry as well.

"Oh Chiyo, we'll all miss other…" I rubbed my eye.

Sakaki exhaled, holding Chiyo out at an arm's length. "Good-bye…and thank you…"

She pecked her on the forehead before standing up beside me. I leaned on her, taking her arm.

Chiyo sniffed, her eyes still wet as she waved at us. "Goodbye everyone!"

We waved in return; we all kept waving until we both lost sight of each other as she left through the walkway. We then stared outside at the airplane, watching it take its flight into the great blue, disappearing among the thick clouds.

It had been a real parting of friends; the rest of us, we were bound to run into each other sometime as we all still lived in the same area. But Chiyo…she was truly now somewhere far away from us. We wouldn't be able to see her again for a long time…

It was a sad farewell.

--

"What do you think about that one?"

"It's nice, but it doesn't allow animals. I want to stay in a good place where Mayaa's allowed."

"Okay, what about that one?" I pointed to a spot on the map spread out before us.

We were in my room, lying by side on the bed as we looked over the apartment listings and pinpointing their locations. Ever since Tomo brought up that she'd already gotten a job and found her place, we had to get moving now.

"It's way too far from our colleges," Sakaki exhaled. "Pets aren't welcome there either…"

"Fine, since every single thing I pick is so wrong," I huffed. "Why don't you give a shot yourself?"

"Ah, okay…" Sakaki tapped her chin, looking over the brochures then she placed a finger on the map, between our colleges' locations marked in red. "There; the rent isn't too expensive, it's in a good place near the shopping district and it's within distance, too, so we can buy our needs and go to our colleges easily, and best yet, Mayaa's welcome."

I looked at it then smiled. "It's so great to have someone smart like you around."

I kissed her as she slid an arm over my back shoulders.

"Mm," I sighed as we parted. "But first…we need part-time jobs if we're going to afford all this…"

"Ah, that's true…"

"You know," my dad suddenly peeked through my bedroom door. "I'll be more than happy to help you along in your moving."

"Thanks Dad," I smiled. "But I think we'll be fine on our own…"

"Still, don't be afraid to ask, if you need it," my dad nodded before he left.

"So, what will you do?" Sakaki asked. "The jobs?"

"Well…err…" I scratched my head. "I guess I'll just check the newspaper and see what's available. What about you Sakaki?"

"Mm…I saw an opening in a store this other day…" Sakaki patted a rolled-up piece of paper against her cheek distractedly. "When we were out for the groceries…"

"Oh really?" I grinned. "Well, here's some hoping you get that job!"

And she did. Turned out it was a local pet store owned by a friendly woman and Sakaki was very thrilled to be working there.

"I start tomorrow," Sakaki one day said, barely able to contain her excitement.

"You have fun," I smiled at her. "Meanwhile, I'll just be looking."

So I got busy with searching possible part-time job choices while Sakaki headed off to work.

Late into the day, after I'd made my picks, Sakaki returned looking bit disheveled. I noticed that she was hiding her arms behind her back. I became concerned.

"Um…did it go okay?"

She gave a pained look and revealed her arms, causing me to cry out in shock. They were covered in deep red cuts and nicks from fingers to just above the elbows.

"Owowow…" she whimpered. "They hurt so much…"

"What the hell happened!?"

"It was the kittens…" she gasped sharply. "I only had to check on their meals and all…a-and they attacked…"

"You'd better go soak in the bath," I murmured, seeing that it hurt a lot for her to move even a twitch. "I'll get the bandages."

"I-I'll do that…" she grimaced as she slowly made her way upstairs. "Thank you Kagura…"

"No problem," I nodded as I watched her go.

After I'd found the first aid kit in the closet, I headed upstairs to the bathroom. Inside, I saw Sakaki wincing with pain as she sat in the warm bathwater.

"Um…does it feel better?" I knelt down next to the tub, opening up the kit.

"A little bit…" she groaned quietly as she raised her right hand.

"Maybe you should quit," I suggested.

"No!" she said sharply. "I have to keep working there, all I have to do is avoid the cats, there are other animals that don't mind me and other chores I can do, so it'll be fine."

"Okay…if you say so…" I replied uncertainly as I brought out a roll of cloth bandages. "Well, this'll sting a little bit, but it'll help."

'A little bit' was an understatement; she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out and wouldn't stop squirming until I had finished applying them.

"Now, do you feel any better?" I sat back down.

"…Ow."

The next day, she went back to the pet store, her arms now hurting less but still very sore.

"Welcome back Sakaki," greeted the owner as she stepped in, the door chime signaling her entrance. "It's nice to see you're still working here despite that unfortunate assault from yesterday. Why don't you take care of their breakfast? Suka can handle the cats."

"Yes…" Sakaki nodded then she set off towards the back room to bring out the food for the young pups._ I can do this…I just have to try avoid anything involving the kittens…_

It would be hard for her as she really loved them, but she did also wish to stay in one piece at the end of the day. So, for most of time, she did her job and was doing fine in her goal until in the last few hours.

"Excuse me?"

Sakaki turned to see a middle-aged lady before her. "What can I do for you?"

"Yes…you see my daughter's been asking for a cat for awhile now," she replied softly. "So I would like it if you could show me what you have before we decide?"

"Um…well…" Sakaki looked around, the other worker was nowhere in sight so she was on her own. "Ah…okay, I'll show you…"

She gulped as she led the lady towards the cages. _I can do this…I just have to show them to her…I don't have to come in contact with them at least…_

"Here we are," Sakaki waved towards the enclosed kittens.

"Wow!" the woman exclaimed. "They are certainly adorable! Are they good-tempered and well-behaved?"

"W-well…" Sakaki stammered, glancing at them. How could she answer that? She'd been bit and scratched…how could she call them well-behaved?

"That black and white kitten catches my eye," the woman pointed. "May I get a closer look?"

"Oh…" Sakaki was afraid this might happen. "U-um…okay, I'll p-pick her up…"

She turned to the cage, unlatching its door then reached her trembling hands towards the kitten.

"It's all right…" she soothed, though her voice was shaky.

The kitten that had been looking quite cuddly previously suddenly turned vicious, hissing as she bit onto Sakaki's hand.

"Ow!" Sakaki winced, sucking her bleeding knuckles. _Why?_

"Oh dear!" the woman gasped. "I guess I was wrong."

"N-No…it's j-just…" Sakaki stammered, trying to explain. She wasn't going to lose a customer just because she'd been bitten; it was just the way she was with cats.

"What's this?" said a new voice. "Oh, I'll take care of this."

It was Suka, the other worker; she bent down and took out the kitten with no harm done.

"Here, she's a very friendly kitten," she smiled at the woman. "She was just being playful, there's nothing to worry about."

"Well, if you say so," the lady nodded lightly, holding the kitten. "She does seem quite affectionate…"

The cat purred in response, nuzzling.

"Oh, look! She likes you already!" Suka smiled. "I think you'll be a good owner!"

Sakaki watched the scene – with just the slightest envy.

Only almost two days into her job and Sakaki already knew what Suka was like despite not having talked to her even once.

Suka was Sakaki's age but she was short – even shorter than me, she later noted – with a somewhat cute petite appearance. Her warm brown eyes and deep chocolate hair which was always tied back just added more to her charm. Even more so, she was a natural with the animals especially the cats which Sakaki had to admire.

"You alright Sakaki?" Suka asked, looking down at the tall girl.

"Um…y-yes…" Sakaki glanced at her bitten hand.

"Gee, I don't get it," Suka sighed, crossing her arms. "They're usually so nice, why do they always attack you like that?"

"…" Sakaki lowered her head. "That's just it…I don't know…"

"Hmm…" Suka tilted her head. "Well…I do have a theory which might just be crazy enough to fix that…"

"Yes?" Sakaki looked up in anticipation. She was now noticing that they were really conversing now.

"When you approach them…how do you feel?"

"Um…" She hadn't thought about that before. "W-well…I don't know…just…I do get little nervous…"

"Therein lies the problem," Suka raised her finger. "Cats and other animals can sense feelings like that, when you're nervous, they're nervous. Why don't you just relax? I'm sure then they'll warm up to you."

"Really?" Sakaki blinked. Was it really that simple?

"Yes, try it will you?" the small girl smiled.

"Ok…" Sakaki stood and advanced towards a cage where a white kitten waited.

She reached inside towards him. _Will it really be alright? _

Still doubtful, she hesitated, causing the kitten to flinch.

"See that?" Suka noted.

"Y-yes…" _Calm, I need to calm, I'm always calm with Kagura and Mayaa…right, I need to imagine them as Mayaa, believe they're Mayaa…_

Within moments, she was cuddling the kitten in her arms. She did it.

"Good job!"

Sakaki smiled at this. Now that she knew how to handle them, she didn't have to worry about any problems being a vet. She spoke too soon.

She let out a yelp as the cat bit her.

"Whoops," Suka rubbed her neck. "I guess they still like to bite, huh?"

After she had returned the kitten into its cage, Sakaki turned to Suka. She had to ask.

"S-Suka…how are you so good with cats?"

"That's just it, I can't explain it myself," Suka scratched her chin. "I'm just here to make money for this summer, I don't mind animals so it was an all right job - I'm studying psychology and stuff in college, I'd like to be a therapist."

"Oh really…?" Sakaki raised her head. "…Where?"

It became a conversation of college choices and goals, when Suka heard about her plans, she let out an exclamation. "Wow, hey that's close to my college! It'd be nice to run into each other then, wouldn't it?"

"Yes…"

After her shift was done, Sakaki told me about it and Suka.

"Sounds like a nice person," I nodded. "But really, I've never known you to get that talkative with people you don't even know."

"Ah…it just happened…" Sakaki mumbled.

--

While Sakaki got to know Suka, I was occupied with my job antics. Not every one of them had worked out…

My first job attempt was working at a sports store, I think I was doing pretty good but apparently my impatience got in way. A customer had asked me to find golf clubs of a specific so I got to it yet they weren't just 'right.' Eventually I lost it and just snapped at him. Shortly after, I was released for being so 'rude' but I still think it's his fault.

Next try was at a café, but that didn't do well either. I was told that I was just too awkward with the regulars and I also tended to spill lot of trays. So thus ends my second job.

The third time, I tried the gym center. I quit soon after. Not that there was anything wrong with it, but I couldn't stand how it could be so slow and the fact I was assigned really dull tasks. It wasn't fit for me, so I left.

And much more…

"Agh! Why can't I do anything right!?" I groaned in frustration as I fell back on my bed after a yet another job failure.

"Oh Kagura…" Sakaki sighed, snuggling at me. "Don't give up, there's still more, right?"

"Yeah, but why should I even bother?" I sighed in exasperation. "It's not going to do any good."

"Don't be like that," Sakaki whispered, kissing my neck tenderly. "You have potential, you'll find something I'm sure."

"Ah…thanks Sakaki," I gave her a small smile. "Guess you're right, I'll keep trying…I'll look for jobs that are near the apartment."

"That's good."

"So what are you going to do when we make our move?" I asked. "The place's far from your job."

"Well, there's a vet clinic around," Sakaki pointed. "I thought I'd go there then."

"That's a nice way to start," I nodded then rested my head on Sakaki's shoulder. "I guess it's goodbye to Suka then?"

"I suppose."

--

The big day soon arrived, just few weeks before our schools started, we had gotten our apartment and were getting ready to make our move. My dad offered to help us out with some of the furniture and our boxes, packing them in a rented truck.

"So, everything all set then?" he called out as we came with the last of the packages.

"Yeah, it looks all good," I nodded as I set mine down then stared at our house. "…It's hard to believe I'm actually leaving…"

I stared at my home which I'd grown my whole life in; recalled memories of running around those rooms as a child…my late mother…all those past experiences including Sakaki…

I broke up, burying my face into my arm.

"Oh Kagura," Sakaki hugged me.

I sniffed then looked back. "I'll certainly miss being in my old home, but we're growing up, it's time for a new start."

"Kagura," my dad placed a hand on my shoulder. "That's my girl, I'm so glad you're taking this maturely."

"Oh Dad…I'll really miss you…" I hugged him tightly, my eyes blurring with tears.

"Hey, save it for when we actually part after we're done with the apartment," he patted my back. "Besides, you can still visit."

"But…" he then smiled softly, returning the hug. "I'll miss you too, I guess it's part of being a parent."

"Dad…"

He then walked over to Sakaki, holding her shoulder.

"Sakaki, it's been nice having you around," he said. "In fact, you've been like a second daughter to me."

"…" Sakaki bowed her head. "T-Thank you for taking care of me, Akio."

"You take good care of Kagura too," he smiled, patting. "I know you'll do a good job."

"…I will," she promised, nodding.

Afterwards, we entered the truck and as my dad started up the engine, I looked out the window at my old home. I watched it shrink in distance as the truck began moving down the road. I then leaned against Sakaki, sighing.

So…this is where it starts…

--

"Wow, it really looks nice!" I exclaimed as we took our view of the new apartment.

It was late out, we had finished unloading our stuff and said goodbye to my dad. I spread my arms, spinning around in the spacious room. Sakaki put down Mayaa whom then began his search throughout the new home.

"And it's ours," I smiled as Sakaki hugged my waist. "Only with a monthly rent payment."

"Yes, let's look around," she let go. "We can put away the rest later."

So we did; the small kitchen was just to left and the sitting room to the right where we had a nice window view of the town ahead. Across the hall were two more rooms, one a bathroom, the other our bedroom.

We fell back on our bed which was big compared to mine back home where sleeping had always been bit cramped. But not anymore in this one, it was very comfortable and just right for us, we could do plenty in it…

"Kagura?" Sakaki whispered.

"Yes Sakaki?"

"Um…" Sakaki blushed slightly. "Do you think…maybe…we c-could…um…"

I grinned. "I think I know what you're thinking, I agree."

I rolled on top of her, placing my lips firmly on hers.

--

"New boarders, you say?"

A tall girl with long, messy golden-brown hair stood in the main hall one floor down, leaning on the counter. After a few more words with the clerk, she spoke up.

"So they're my neighbors then," she smiled. "I suppose I'd better give them a neighborly welcome!"

She then headed upstairs and down the corridor, pausing before her room at the end. She glanced at the other door. "So, they're right across the hall from mine, this'll be interesting."

She then stepped into her abode.

"I don't have much…but maybe this'll do," she murmured as she checked her fridge inside, puling out a carton of apple pie. "I was saving this for myself, but then it's nice to share."

She hummed happily as she left for the neighboring residence. She knocked on the door.

"Hellooo!" she sing-sang. "It's your friendly new neighbor!"

No response but the door creaked open slightly on her rapping.

"Hmm?" she blinked at it. "It's open? How careless, they should be more careful."

"Still," she trilled. "Maybe I can introduce myself in."

She grabbed the doorknob and was about to step in but then she heard a noise. A deep red blush crept across her face and she shut the door securely, hurrying back into her own apartment.

"Maybe I'll just meet them tomorrow…"


	22. Kitagawa

Together Always

Kitagawa

Author's Note: College is just beginning and so are new friendships to come!

- I would like to note that the name 'Suka' was meant to be a variation on the name 'Suki', it's not meant to mean anything

- Also I would like to note that Kitagawa is NOT an Original Character, she's a guest character from **Doki Doki School Hours **(_Sensei no Ojikan_). But you don't necessarily have to watch it to know and like her

- Rest assured, while new friends will appear, the story will still keep its main focus on our Sakaki and Kagura!

So I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Warning: Possible Slight Suggestive Themes, Slight Language

* * *

--Rio Kitagawa--

"Now, that was the _best_," I sighed, wrapping my arms around Sakaki's neck.

"It was, wasn't it?" Sakaki giggled.

Morning had arrived, Sakaki having awakened me with her usual kiss. Last night had been just amazing, if not better, with all that room to spare…

"Oh!" I gasped as she squeezed close, kissing my neck passionately.

"I just love having you close in my arms," Sakaki whispered, smacking her lips.

"My god, Sakaki," I gripped her shoulders. "You're so different in bed, nobody would've suspected."

"Mm," she smiled, rubbing her cheek against mine affectionately. "I love you; we should do this again sometime…"

"Sakaki…"

"I gotta go for a bit," Sakaki climbed out of bed, her slender nudity revealed. "I'll be back in a second."

"Shouldn't you put on a shirt or something first?" I asked as she made her way towards the bedroom door.

"It's our home now," Sakaki replied, opening up the door. "Is there really anything to be worried about?"

"Still…"

She had gone into the bathroom so I got out from under the covers and put on a simple white shirt with denim shorts.

Just as I was fixing up my hair, I heard a piercing shriek. It was from Sakaki! Did she slip on something? Had she hurt herself?

I hurried into the other room to see a most peculiar sight - a panicked Sakaki sitting high on the sink, trying her best to keep her feet from touching the floor. She was screaming her head off, pointing at an unseen object in the corner.

"Look! Look! Look!" was all she could manage, her pointed finger trembling.

"What is it, Sakaki? What?" I asked, still trying to figure out what she was so worked up about.

"T-There!" she stuttered.

And I saw it - an ugly roach skittering across the tile floor.

"Eww," I grimaced. "I'll handle this, Sakaki."

So I grabbed a cat magazine from the top of the toilet, rolling it up into a handy club.

"N-not m-my b-book…" Sakaki whimpered.

"It's the closest weapon I could get to," I murmured, keeping a sharp eye on the bug.

I soon followed it out into the main room, watching its movements vigilantly. Just when I was close enough for a clear strike, Mayaa pounced into my path at the roach and I ended up bonking him by accident. He gave an angry hiss while the cockroach made a mad dash across the floor.

"You're not going to get away, you little bastard!" I yelled, chasing after it.

Damn, was that thing fast! I ran after it all over the apartment, shouting obscenities with my club raised to aim and kill. Mayaa soon wised up and hid safely out of way from my roach rampage.

Soon enough, I had the pest cornered and was just about to bring down the smack down when out of nowhere it was crushed by a newcomer's light blue slipper.

"Hey…I was going to smash that…" I looked up from it to see a tall woman standing before me. "Oh, hello."

"I see you're busy," she smiled lightly. "Perhaps I should've knocked first but the door was open and so…oh…"

She raised her right foot, staring at the squished remains underneath.

"Looks like I stepped in something, ugh…" she wiped it against the door siding.

While she was occupied with herself, I took a good view of her. She really was tall, maybe even a few centimeters more than Sakaki; with long, messy golden-brown hair and relaxed dark eyes paired with a friendly look. I could definitely tell that this wasn't a bad person but maybe she did seem bit strange…

For one…she had barged right into our home…and into our lives as it would soon be seen later on…

Truthfully, we're thankful for it.

"So," she suddenly spoke up. "I heard a commotion from across the hall and thought I'd come check, everything all right?"

"Err…" I blinked. "Sorry…but…who are you?"

"Oh! Where are my manners?" she exclaimed, raising her hands before bowing politely. "I'm Kitagawa, your friendly neighbor!"

"Ah, Kitagawa?" I nodded, uncertain what should be the proper response. "I'm Kagura."

"Pleased to meet you!" Kitagawa greeted.

"Kagura?"

We turned to see Sakaki peering out of the bathroom; she turned a deep red when she saw there was a new guest and quickly snuck her head back in.

"Ah…" Kitagawa stared for a moment, it seemed like she was contemplating something. "Yes…who's the shy lady?"

"That's Sakaki," I smiled weakly. "Um…if you don't mind, but you've caught us at a pretty bad time…"

"Sure, I got it," she smiled. "Well, I'll be getting back to my place since everything seems a-okay here…"

"Yes, bye Kitagawa," I said as she stepped out, shutting the door after her. "Whew, what's her deal intruding like that?" I exhaled. "Still, she seemed pretty nice…"

"Is she gone yet?" came Sakaki's timid voice from afar. "What about the roach?"

"Yep, they're both gone," I reassured, Sakaki stepped out. "I _told_ you, you know!"

"Won't happen again," she replied, heading back into the bedroom to get dressed. "Who was that?"

"Her name's Kitagawa," I answered. "Apparently, she's our 'friendly new neighbor…'"

"I see."

"I swear, she's taller than you too," I brought up, holding up my left arm to emphasize the height. "Still, that shouldn't bother you, right?"

"It's okay," Sakaki reappeared, tugging on her red tank top. "So, do you want something to eat?"

"That would be nice-" I started but then I was cut off by hard rapping on the door outside.

"Yes?" I opened it…to see Kitagawa yet again, only that she wasn't in her pajamas anymore but her daywear.

"You up for a breakfast at Café Mercado?" she smiled at us. "My treat."

We had no idea how to respond to the unexpected invitation, so all we could was to follow her. She took us outside, twirling about under the warm sun as we walked down the sidewalk.

"Isn't it a nice day?" she faced us, stepping backwards.

"I suppose it is," I replied while Sakaki nodded.

"There we are!" Kitagawa pointed to the café where there were colorful banners and a chalkboard sign of meal specials out front. "Let's go!"

She then dragged us in.

Moments later, we were seated at a table by the window where we could look at the passing sights outside. After a waitress had taken our orders, Kitagawa leaned on the table, staring at us seriously. I began to feel uncomfortable under her gaze.

"Err…Kitagawa…?"

Suddenly, she was back to her cheerful self, smiling as she tilted her chair back. "Nice place isn't it?"

We blinked.

"So, Kagura and Sakaki, right?" she inclined her head. "You're roommates?"

"Ah…" I shook my head. "Y-yeah, you could call it that…"

What was with that woman?

"You seem pretty young," she tapped her chin. "Let me guess, you're starting college, aren't you?"

"Yeah!" I then told her the name of the college I was attending.

"No way!" Kitagawa exclaimed. "That's where I'm going too! Second year, if you will. You know, I wouldn't mind showing you around."

"That'd be great," I smiled politely.

"So Sakaki…" she then looked over to my companion. "What's yours?"

"Um…" she blushed shyly. "I-I'm going to a veterinary school…"

"Ah, I see!" she said. "That's so nice of you, you're going to help all those animals, eh?"

"Y-yes…" Sakaki smiled lightly.

Soon the waitress returned, setting down our drinks and food. Kitagawa had ordered us milk tea and French toast in maple syrup…without our consent but we weren't complaining, she was the hostess and the meal was good anyway.

Just as I was sipping my tea, Kitagawa shot us with another question I didn't see coming.

"You two are together, aren't you?"

Immediately I choked, coughing as Sakaki patted my back. "W-WHAT?"

Was it really _that_ obvious? Sakaki and I had agreed we wouldn't be revealing our relationship unless it was needed. And yet, here, she had already gotten straight to the point.

"U-um…" I stammered. "W-what makes you say that?"

"Don't try to deny it," she smirked. "You two are hot for each other, huh?"

We blushed at that comment.

"Y-yes…but how did you know?" I whispered, looking back in case anybody was listening; we weren't just going to spread the word you know…

"Ah…just a feeling," Kitagawa mumbled, her spoon swirling in her cup. "That or I may just have overheard your night activities last night…you really should consider checking your doors are fully closed…"

Now we were really red. "What _were_ you doing there?" I hissed.

"Relax, my motives were of good intention," Kitagawa replied calmly as if she didn't seem interested. "I just came over to greet you with an apple pie as is the way of a neighborly welcome…then I heard you having a very private second and made my haste - I wouldn't want to ruin your moment."

We stared at her - how could she just say it so coolly? And in public?

"Do tell me," Kitagawa looked up. "Which one of you has the upper hand?"

"T-that's enough!" I said firmly, this was getting too personal. "Can we just stop?"

"Ah, sorry!" Kitagawa sighed deeply. "I don't know what came over me then, I guess it's just how I am, so sorry really."

She said all this so nonchalantly, drinking her tea once again as we watched.

"Sakaki, right?" she suddenly spoke up, showing that smile of hers again. "You're so quiet, why don't you speak up?"

"U-um…" Sakaki blushed again, falling silent as she stared at her plate.

"Aw, don't be so shy," Kitagawa giggled. "I'm sure people would love to hear just how nice you sound."

For once, she said something sensible.

"Yeah Sakaki," I smiled, holding her hand under the table. "She makes a good point, I do like your voice."

"Ah…" Sakaki smiled warmly.

"There see?" Kitagawa poked Sakaki's cheek playfully. "Even your girlfriend says so!"

I couldn't help but feel bit irritated at her all too casual actions.

"Oh shoot," Kitagawa exhaled, taking her wallet out. "The check, think either one of you can lend some money?"

I glared at her.

"Just kidding," she chuckled. "I got it covered."

After she had paid for the meal, we went back outside. Kitagawa spread her arms wide, standing before the cityscape.

"Look at the sights!" she sighed exuberantly, clasping her hands. "Come on, I'll give you a free tour!"

Sakaki and I shared glances then I waved my hand. "Oh no, sorry, but we really should be getting back home because…"

"Feed Mayaa," Sakaki added helpfully.

"Yes, that's it!" I pointed to her. "We just moved in, so we still have things to finish too."

"Oh…oh, I understand completely!" Kitagawa nodded. "Maybe another time?"

"Yeah, maybe," I smiled weakly.

As nice she was, she just kept making us feel awkward so we thought we could get away from her for a bit. We didn't think she would be that resolute to keep up with us.

Upon reaching our apartment, we turned to Kitagawa in the hallway before entering.

"Well, I guess we'll see you another time," I said, turning the doorknob.

But just as we stepped in, so did she.

"Uh…" I stared as she walked across the room.

"Nice place you have," she commented, pausing to view it.

"Yeah, well, we got in yesterday so…"

"Oh, so you have a cat!" Kitagawa exclaimed as Mayaa trotted into the room, mewing.

She knelt down as he came up to her, allowing her to scratch his ears. Mayaa purred in satisfaction.

"Unusual kitty, isn't he?" Kitagawa said as he rubbed his head against her knees. "What sort of breed is he?"

"Oh! He's an Iri-" I started but then Sakaki elbowed me in the ribs. "Ow! What the…"

"Crossbreed, he's a crossbreed," Sakaki said hastily.

"What? No, he's not!"

"Shh!" Sakaki hushed, shaking her finger. "It's not allowed to keep exotic animals…"

"What!?" I nearly shouted but kept my voice low. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I-I…" Sakaki struggled then sighed. "I didn't want to lose Mayaa…"

"Oh Sakaki…" I groaned quietly. "Well, now we're in a pickle, we have a wild cat living with us in a building full of people, somebody's bound to notice! What then, Sakaki?"

"We just tell him he's a crossbreed," Sakaki replied.

"Err…" I looked back to see Kitagawa still sitting there.

"Hmm?" she tilted her head.

"Yeah," I twitched. "He's a crossbreed, like she said."

"Mm…" Kitagawa closed her eyes, raising a hand to her forehead. "I sense you are lying…"

Uh oh. We gulped.

"Don't worry!" Kitagawa smiled merrily. "Your secret's safe with me!"

We exhaled sighs of relief.

"I must ask though…" she muttered as she held up Mayaa. "How did you happen to come across him?"

"Ah…" Sakaki smiled gently. "His mother died and he followed me here, then he saved me from a pack of cats and in turn, I took him in…We owe each other our lives."

"That is so touching," Kitagawa wiped her eyes. "I can see he's in good hands so I'm not going to tell anyone."

"Thank you," Sakaki sighed, bowing.

"Anyway," she stood up. "I'm gonna head back to my place, I've got to get things ready."

Before she left, she turned to us with a smile. "I insist you come over for dinner!"

I looked at Sakaki, she nodded.

"Sure, we'll be there."

As time passed, Sakaki fed Mayaa and we unpacked more of the boxes. Then as it got darker, we changed into nicer clothes before heading over to Kitagawa's home.

Before we could even knock, she opened up the door. "You made it! Come right in!"

Once we were inside, we saw how nicely furnished it was with the stylish furniture and art on walls. Obviously, she must had a very good job to afford all this.

"It's very nice," I admitted.

"Oh, it's nothing!" she waved a hand modestly, "Just a little _feng shui _here and there to brighten the place up."

"Who is the artist?" Sakaki pointed to a painting of a Dalmatian in a red convertible.

"Ah, that would be me," Kitagawa smiled.

"Eh?" We stared at her in surprise. I didn't think she would be such a talented artist, then again, it shouldn't have been a shock considering we didn't know that much about her anyway.

"Yes, I'm part of the art program the college offers," Kitagawa nodded. "It's such a great place with its wide areas of interest! You'll love it Kagura."

"I think I will," I grinned. "Thanks for the info."

"It's really good," Sakaki complimented.

"Yes, it's one of my favorites," Kitagawa replied admiringly, then she waved towards the kitchen. "Please do come this way, I've made us something delicious from the menu for tonight!"

She then led us to an oak dining table, encouraging us to sit together while she took her chair from across us.

"Here's a baguette, fresh from the bakery," she said, setting down a basket before going over to the counter.

Kitagawa returned shortly with a large glass bowl of swirly pasta and olives in dressing, placing it on the tabletop.

"Pasta salad, made it myself," she smiled, scooping out spoonfuls onto our plates. "Hope you like."

As she took her seat, we took our first bites.

"Mm, this is tasty!" I approved. "You're a good cook too!"

"Oh no!" she giggled. "I just follow the recipe, nothing much."

"Still, I gotta admire that," I smiled. "I can't do a thing in the kitchen, even I can't toast bread."

"Oh no?" Kitagawa blinked. "Can either one of you cook?"

"Trust me, you do _not_ want me in there," I exhaled deeply, poking the pasta.

"Um…" Sakaki blushed. "Y-yeah, just a little…"

"Oh really?" Kitagawa and I looked at her then the hostess added. "Well, I'd be happy to help you out with the cooking, if you wish. I'll even let in few dish secrets of mine!"

"You sure?" Sakaki mumbled.

"Yeah, I'm with her!" I agreed, putting down my fork. "It'll be great to have a girlfriend in the house that can make an awesome meal…especially since I'm so pathetic at it…"

"Ah…okay…" Sakaki sighed then she stroked my hair. "But you're not pathetic…"

She however lowered her hand quickly when she remembered Kitagawa was there.

Kitagawa noticed. "Come on! Don't be shy, show your love! I don't mind, really."

"Ah…" Sakaki glanced at me. "Kagura…"

She then leaned down, kissing my lips softly.

"Sakaki…" I smiled in return.

Kitagawa was leaning on the table, her chin in her raised palms.

"I can see why you're together," she said quietly. "You really do complement each other well…"

"T-Thanks…" I replied as Sakaki hugged my shoulders, resting her head against mine.

After we had finished our dinner, we went back out to the hallway.

"Thanks you for the dinner," I bowed to Kitagawa in the doorway. "It was good."

"Thank you," she nodded. "I do hope we'll see each other often."

"You bet we will!" I grinned. She had immensely grown on us.

"That's great to hear!" Kitagawa clapped her hands. "I'll see you then!"

"Good night, Kitagawa."

"Good night, new neighbors and friends!" she waved before closing the door. "Be sure to have fun, okay?"

We chuckled awkwardly at that last comment then we went back in our own apartment. Mayaa greeted us as we entered, rubbing himself at our legs. Sakaki picked him up, cuddling him close.

Feeling tired from today's events and dinner, we headed straight to our bedroom joined by Mayaa. As we climbed into our bed, Sakaki wrapped an arm around my waist, kissing my neck.

"So Sakaki," I sighed. "What do you think of Kitagawa?"

"…I like her," she answered.

"So do I," I smiled, snuggling closer to her. "She may be strange but she's cool."


	23. Suka

Together Always

Suka

Author's Note: I would like to note the song Sakaki sings in this chapter is my own creation, I hope you like it

* * *

--Suka Hiroshi--

Over the next few days, in some weird way, we and Kitagawa became better friends. I suppose it was her level of relaxation that made us loosen up a bit around her and in our new home. Like that one day for example.

We were sitting in our apartment with Kitagawa, exchanging talks over morning coffee as it had become the norm. It was the last week of summer before our colleges started. The day's topic was about jobs which we would be checking out today.

"So Sakaki, you're going to that clinic, huh?" Kitagawa said as she dipped a vanilla wafer in her coffee mug.

"Yes," Sakaki nodded. "It's close to my school, so it'll be good to work there after classes."

"That's good," Kitagawa then looked at me. "Any jobs you want in particular, Kagura?"

"Err…" I chuckled weakly, rubbing my neck. "I thought I'd just look around, see what I can find, I really don't have a specific…"

"I see…" Kitagawa nodded slowly.

Then suddenly she bolted upright and slammed her hands down on the table, causing our mugs to spill a little.

"What are you waiting for?" she stared at us intently.

"Huh?" we blinked at her.

"Your jobs!" she replied briskly. "Go, get out there and get to them! Go!"

"Um…but…" Sakaki glanced at her left wristwatch. "My appointment isn't until…"

"It never hurts to get an early start!" Kitagawa clenched her fist. "Let's go, go!"

And with surprising quickness, she pulled us away from our table, shoving us out and down the hall stairs. We stumbled over the steps but she pushed us on until we were outside and on our way on our bikes.

"Good luck girls!" Kitagawa waved after us as we rode off.

We pedaled down the sidewalk, stopping just before the roadway at the end.

"Kagura," Sakaki pointed to the right. "The clinic is the other way, I'll see you later."

"Okay Sakaki…" I watched as she left, disappearing around the corner.

I continued on my own through the shopping district, glancing at the buildings as I passed by. _I wonder what kind of work I could do…_

Finding nothing in my interest, I stopped at the café where I decided I'd have a light lunch before resuming my search. Just as I was fitting my bike into the metal rack near the shop, I heard a low rumbling from behind and turned to see a red-and-white motorbike pull up to the curb. I stared.

While Dad had always told me to stay away from those types of vehicles as they were dangerous, I had to admire those who dared to ride them. In my opinion, I thought they made them look tough and cool.

Fascinated, I watched as the rider stepped off and began to remove his helmet. I was surprised to find out it was a young girl, she looked like she couldn't have been any older than me! On top of that, she was short, just reaching up to my shoulders.

Impressed and bewildered, I stepped over to her. My first thought was that she was probably someone in junior high, judging by her appearance.

"That's awesome!" I grinned as I stepped up to her. "How does a kid like you go about riding a motorbike?"

"Excuse me?" she looked up at me incredulously. "I'm a college student!"

'What?" I jumped back. "You are? But…"

I looked down at her small stature.

"Oh that…" she exhaled. "Ah…I'm used to it…"

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I…I didn't mean to be rude…"

"It's okay really," she smiled lightly. "I can't help being short, I guess. Just…don't make the same mistake again, though."

"I'll remember that," I rubbed my neck then looked at her bike again. "So…that's a really cool ride you've got there."

"Thanks," she nodded. "It's a nice way to have the wind in your face instead of being squeezed together like sardines in a tin train."

"Heh, I believe I can agree with on that sentiment," I grinned at her, here she was, another outdoor girl like myself! "You look like a great person, what's your name?"

"Ah, Suka," she replied.

"Suka?" Where had I heard that name before…?

Then I remembered. "Oh! Do you know Sakaki?"

"What?" she blinked. "Oh…yes, I do, we worked at that pet store over the summer…are you her friend?"

"Yep," I bowed. "I'm Kagura, pleased to meet you! Sakaki says you're a smart person."

"Can't say I disagree," Suka laughed, bowing in return. "Well, it's good to meet you too!"

I looked back at the café and had a thought; it would be a good way to make friends with her then.

"Would you like to come in for a drink?"

She agreed and so we sat at a table inside, a conversation already sparked up between us. I found out we had a lot in common; we liked being outside, sports, all that stuff. The only difference was that she had the brains. I'm only being honest.

"So, how do you know Sakaki?" Suka asked, sipping her pink lemonade. "You said you was her friend, right?"

"Ah, yes, we met in high school…" I smiled, twirling my straw in my glass. "We're sharing an apartment now…"

"What?" she stared, "You do?"

"Uh," I blushed. What did I just say now? "Y-yeah…well, we're really good friends…w-we thought it might be a fun idea to share one since our colleges are pretty close together…"

I gritted my teeth, looking down at my lap. _Is that really the best excuse I can come up with?_

"Okay…" Suka nodded slowly but she still watched me suspiciously.

"Hmm…she's so tall!"

"Yeah, she is, isn't she?" I chuckled.

"It must be nice," she sighed. "It can get bit tiring sometimes being so short…"

"Hey…" I frowned, leaning on the tabletop. "It's tiring being tall too; at least, that's what she tells me…"

"Mm," Suka smiled. "I guess its tiring being who we are sometimes then."

"I guess so…"

After we had finished our meal, we went back outside.

"So what brings you out here?" I asked as I pulled out my bike.

"Ah, I'm just checking the sights," Suka looked at the shops, "You?"

"Well, I've been trying to find a job, but no success…" I sighed in reply.

"Oh, I see…" Suka tapped her chin then she smiled. "You know, I think I know a nearby one that'll suit you based on what you've told me about…"

"Eh?" I scratched my head.

"I mean, I know one that you'll like," she said simply.

Suka wrote down its address on a napkin then handed it over to me. "Basically, it's got a delivery service too, you know, deliver the flowers and groceries to the customers; I'm sure it'll be fine with you."

"That doesn't sound too bad," I pocketed it. "Pretty simple though, but I think I can work with this, thanks Suka."

"No problem!" Suka replied. "I'm just glad I could help out."

"…" I fiddled with my fingers. "You know…if you want, you could come visit our place anytime."

"Really?" Suka tilted her head.

"Yeah, I mean, you look like a girl we can get along with," I nodded. "I mean, Sakaki knows about you too."

"Well, um…"

"Hey, it's fine!" I scribbled our address and apartment number on another napkin, holding it out to Suka. "You're welcome anytime!"

She stared at it for a moment then took it. "…If you say so…"

"Yeah, I'll see you around," I said, mounting my bike. I knew I would since she had told me her school was the same as mine, just in different classes.

"Yes…" she raised her hand. "See you."

"See you!" I smiled, kicking off.

As I pedaled down the street back home, she looked again at the paper. _'You're welcome anytime…'_

"Welcome…" she sighed.

I returned to the apartment complex to see Kitagawa standing outside.

"Hey, Sakaki home yet?" I asked as I pulled up next to her.

"Oh, nope," she shook her head. "I just stepped out for some fresh air, did you find a job yet?"

"Yep," I showed her the napkin piece. "Somebody showed me this, I'm going to check it soon."

"Ah, that's great!" she exclaimed then she glanced up. "Huh?"

I heard the clinking of a bicycle and looked back to see Sakaki coming toward us. "Sakaki!"

She slowed to a stop, lowering her bike carefully onto the ground before she went over and pulled me into a hug.

"Kagura, I got the job," she smiled warmly. "I'll be starting shortly this next week, they say since I'm going to veterinary college, I'll even be able to work my way up in the future if I do good."

"Ah, that's great news, Sakaki!" I congratulated her.

Her smile widened then she picked me up, spinning us around. She kissed my forehead. She really was happy.

"Aw!" Kitagawa walked up to us, her arms spread. "This calls for a celebration!"

"Oh, no, that's really not necessary…" I started but she wouldn't have it.

"No, I insist!" she raised her finger. "We'll have a karaoke night!"

"…If you say so," I sighed while Sakaki blushed shyly.

"Oh, and who might you be?" Kitagawa suddenly said, looking over our shoulders.

"What?" We turned to see the short girl from before. She seemed surprised when we had noticed her. A thought hit me…Had she seen what Sakaki did with me?

"Suka?" We both said in unison then we stared at each other.

"You know this girl?" Kitagawa blinked, tugging at her fisher hat.

"Um…um…" she stammered, uncertain what she should do then now that she'd been seen.

"Hey Suka, what brings you here?" I asked curiously.

"Um…" she stepped out from behind the brick wall. "Well…you said I was welcome anytime right? W-well…oh, I hope this isn't too soon…maybe I should just go…"

I could tell she was nervous so I did my best to reassure her. "Hey, hey, it's cool, really."

"You invited her?" Sakaki whispered.

"Well yeah," I turned to her. "I ran into her while I was looking for jobs, she turned out to be a nice person so I thought it wouldn't hurt if we could get along with her more."

"Ah…I see," she nodded. "…I agree…"

"That's good," I looked back to Suka whom was still timidly standing apart from us. "Hey, come over here, you can chat with us, I want to introduce Kitagawa-"

Kitagawa barged forward, smiling down at the girl. "Hey Suka! Would you like to join us tonight for karaoke?"

"Oh, no, no," Suka waved her hands frantically. "I don't mean to intrude…I-I mean…"

"Hey, it's cool!" Kitagawa casually put an arm around her shoulder. "The more, the merrier! Please, I insist!"

"U-um…" Suka gulped. "…Ok, I guess, if that's ok with you…"

She had no other choice, as we and she could tell; Kitagawa was not a woman whose mind could be easily changed.

And so it would be tonight that we found ourselves walking down the sidewalk as the neon lights of the small city flashed overhead. Kitagawa was in the lead, naturally, and there was Suka looking quite confused to as how she had gotten herself into this.

"Here it is, the best place ever," Kitagawa waved towards the café which I had gone to that afternoon.

My eyes narrowed at this. "That's the same café we go to during the day."

"Oh, but it's even _better_ at night," Kitagawa wagged her finger. "Come right inside…"

When we walked in, we saw it was indeed teeming with life, lot of people noisily chatting together at candle-lit tables while upbeat music went on in the background.

"Here's our table," Kitagawa led us towards to a table closest to the stage where there was karaoke singing happening.

"Bring us root beers for four!" she called out to the crowd before sitting down with us. "Nice isn't it?"

As the night hour went on, I noted Suka was very quiet. Being the concerned type I am, I spoke up. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" she glanced up. "W-well…I-it's just that…um…I've n-never gone out at night l-like this…"

"Ah, I see," I smiled. "Don't worry about, Kitagawa knows best."

…Err…Did she really? Well, at least, I was saying it to cheer her up a bit.

"Oh really?" Suka flicked her straw.

Just then a young man came up to us. I didn't like the looks of him, he looked like an absolute flirt. I grabbed Sakaki's hand under the table.

"Say young ladies, what brings you here?" he smiled smugly, placing a hand on the table.

"Hahaha," Kitagawa laughed offhandedly. "Certainly not you, now get lost, it's our girls' night."

"Aw, can't you include even one guy in this?" he pouted playfully. "I'm sure it wouldn't do any harm."

"No," Kitagawa smiled. Wow, she could really be so casual with her rejections…

"Huh?" the man then spied Suka. "What's a kid doing here?"

I grimaced. I knew that had to sting. To my surprise though, Suka didn't correct him in a snap, rather, she just became red-faced.

"U-um…" she mumbled. "A-actually, I-I'm just e-eighteen…"

"No way!!" he raised a hand over Suka's head. "You're so short!"

Suka sank deep into her seat at that. Aw…Suka…

Kitagawa rose to her feet immediately, still smiling. "Please go away."

"Aw, don't be so mean!" he chuckled at her. "I only want to chat with you gals."

"You're disturbing the customers," Kitagawa replied. "I must ask you to leave."

"Gee, you girls are no fun!" With that, he left, probably to try to pick up other girls.

Kitagawa sat back down, smiling at Suka. "Oh, it's all right, I think that girls your size are just the most adorable things ever!"

"R-really!?" she gasped, her cheeks pink. "You think so?"

"Yeah," Kitagawa nodded. "I'm sure some guys'll see that way about you!"

"Ah…" Suka sighed. "B-but, it's not just the guys…even though I have a noticeable bust, I keep being mistaken for a kid…"

She then blushed at what she'd just said. "Oh! Did I say that out loud?"

Kitagawa chortled. "It's fine, just relax, don't let your size get you down, just be yourself! That way then, people will like you for who you are, they won't let the height matter to them!"

"I agree with her," I grinned while Sakaki nodded.

"Ah…" Suka smiled, looking around at us. "You really are nice people…"

At the moment I saw her happy face, I was reminded instantly of our friend, Chiyo, in America.

"You know, you remind me a lot of my and Sakaki's friend," I leaned forward. "She's a nice person like you, if you ever met; I bet you'd get along pretty well."

"Oh really?" Suka looked up.

"Yup! She's smart too!" I grinned, "Right Sakaki?"

"Ah, yes," Sakaki nodded.

"Oh look, the stage's empty," Kitagawa noted towards the now vacant spot beside the karaoke machine. "Why doesn't one of you go up and sing?"

"Ahaha, not me," I chuckled weakly. "I don't think I could pull it off…"

"Suka?"

Suka just flushed a bright pink and hurriedly bowed her head.

"Ah…Sakaki!" Kitagawa gasped, pointing at my partner. "You look like you could be good with the tunes, why don't you get up there?"

"Um…um…" Sakaki glanced shyly at the crowd. "I don't know…"

"I insist!" Kitagawa suddenly pulled her up, pushing her forward.

Sakaki tripped up the steps, grabbing the microphone stand for support. She looked around as the surrounding people clapped politely. "Umm…"

"You can do it," I waved her on encouragingly.

"Uh…" Sakaki tapped on the microphone, its feedback echoing throughout the room. "Ok…here it goes…um…"

She cleared her throat and began her warm-ups before her song began. I listened to her, transfixed by her amazing voice. To my shock, she started out quite harshly.

_One time I used to know nothing but loneliness_

_Loneliness like that single star you see up in that early night sky_

_Surrounded by nothing but darkness_

_Empty, black darkness_

_Nothing_

_One time I used to feel nothing but sadness_

_Sadness like the cold, hard rain_

_Dripping down your body_

_Cold, hard rain_

_Nothing_

_One time I used to have nothing but hurt feelings_

_Hurt feelings like a hand that grabs your heart_

_Twisting it, tugging at it, just tearing at it_

_Twist, tug, tear_

_Nothing_

Her voice then grew softer, she was smiling now.

_But then I found someone_

_Someone so sweet and kind_

_Yet so playful and fun_

_Someone you could just about ask for anything_

_Someone_

_I found someone_

_Someone so warm and soft_

_Yet so cool and serene_

_Someone you can just fall asleep in their arms_

_Someone_

_I found someone_

_Someone so friendly and nice_

_Yet so caring and protective_

_Someone you can just rely on to look over you_

_Someone_

Sakaki was singing more cheerfully now.

_Now all I want to is_

_Look up to the heavens of blue_

_See the cotton clouds drift by_

_As we lie in the grass_

_Swaying_

_All I want to is_

_Listen to the robin sing its song of spirit_

_The soft breeze as the wind whistles_

_As we lie in the grass_

_Rustling_

_All I want to is_

_Hold my beloved's hand_

_When the warmth of the sun shines upon us_

_As we lie in the grass_

_Tickling_

_All I want to is_

_To lie in the grass_

_See the sky_

_Hear the wind_

_Feel the sun_

_As we lie in the grass_

_Me and my beloved…_

The song ended, Sakaki lowered her microphone, staring at the crowd. The whole room was silent.

Then like a firecracker set off, the crowd exploded; people stood to clap and cheer and whistle at Sakaki after she had completed her song.

"Ah…thank you…" she replied quietly, bowing to the audience.

She then looked in my direction, smiling. I knew what that song was about. It was about us.

As the night grew late and the customers began dispersing from the café, we stepped out into the chilly evening air.

"Wow, Sakaki," Kitagawa breathed. "You were so amazing! Just like some goddess!"

"T-thank you," Sakaki blushed, smiling slightly.

"You were just great," I sighed, leaning onto her.

"I see now."

We glanced at Suka. Oh right. "Um…Suka…about us…"

"It's fine," Suka winked. "At least you got each other; that ought to be good enough for you both, huh?"

"Ah, yes…" I cuddled closer to Sakaki whom put an arm around me.

"So, I suppose we're headed home then?" Suka looked up at Kitagawa.

"Yeah, you be careful on your way back," she replied.

"I will," Suka nodded but before she set to leave, I called out to her. "Hey Suka!"

"Yeah?"

"Remember you're welcome to visit anytime at our place!" I grinned. "We'll be good friends!"

"Ah…friends?" Suka sighed.

"Yep, friends," I smiled.

Suka looked up at the starry sky. "Friends…"


	24. Tenji

Together Always

Tenji

Author's Note: Our girls have made their first two friends and jobs so far, but there's more!

* * *

--Tenji Koihai--

I awoke to a new kind of kissing - Mayaa licking my face.

"You silly cat!" I laughed as I sat up, ruffling his fur.

I noticed Sakaki wasn't in bed with me. "Sakaki?"

The kitten at my heels, I stepped out of our room and towards the small kitchen. There was Sakaki already dressed and packing our lunch. Of course.

With already first few weeks into college, my system was still getting used to waking up to be expected at school. Sakaki wasn't doing too bad, compared to her summer mode; she was one bright early bird.

"Oh, morning Kagura," she greeted as I yawned, stretching my arms. "Have a good night's sleep?"

"You could say that," I mumbled, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"You should get ready, Kitagawa's waiting," Sakaki replied.

"Man, you sound just like my dad," I chuckled. "All right, I'll go get dressed, see you."

I went back to put on my shirt and jeans then grabbed my backpack and returned to Sakaki.

"Here I am."

"See you," she sighed, leaning down to kiss.

After I shared it for the moment, I patted Sakaki's cheek. "See you after school."

"See you, bye," she waved me off as I left to meet with Kitagawa for my ride.

Since my college was a bit further away and I had found out Kitagawa actually owned her own car, it was to an agreement she would take me along on the condition I didn't oversleep.

While we had gone, Sakaki stood alone in our apartment save for Mayaa. She checked the kitchen clock then refilled Mayaa's food and water bowls before setting off for her school.

"I'll see you later after school," Sakaki petted the cat's head as she started out.

As she usually did everyday since her classes started, she would bicycle her way to her school. For the rest of the day, there were no incidents to speak of between us until late afternoon when Sakaki's last class had finished.

Sakaki had decided to take a shortcut home and was just pedaling by when she noticed a florist's store to the side of the road. Sakaki paused to look up at the flowery banner outside. _Hmm? I didn't know they had one around here._

She then thought she might surprise me with a nice bouquet of roses so she went towards to the shop, setting her bike against its wall.

The chime of the ringing bell resounded throughout the store as Sakaki opened the door, stepping in. At first, she stared in awe at the garden beyond her, shelves filled with all kinds of flowers and green plants known to man. She breathed in the fresh air, inhaling the mixed scents that flowed through it. She smiled. It was always nice to walk into a shop full of flowers as it refreshes one. She noticed that was no one around so she went to look.

"Hello?" she called out, walking between baskets of varying carnations and chrysanthemums. "Um…is there anyone?"

At that moment a young man peered out. "Ah, a customer…whoa…"

He fell quiet; Sakaki thought she saw a tinge of pink in his cheeks.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat, stepping out. "What can I do for you?"

"Um…" Sakaki blushed shyly; she wasn't used to talking to men. "W-well…I would like to find some nice roses…"

"Oh yeah, roses!" he raised a hand, still staring at her. "We've got plenty, have a look this way."

He pointed to where they were placed and Sakaki nodded in thanks, going over to them. As she was considering whether to with either red or white, she felt eyes on her and glanced back at the counter to see the same guy still watching her. When she had noticed him, he let out a gasp and hurriedly turned to the cash register.

"Hmm?" Sakaki was perplexed. Usually, she would have felt uncomfortable otherwise by the way some people stared at her, but this man was different. Instead of lecherous stares she got on occasion from the boys, this was…something softer, shyer…it reminded her of someone…

Having decided on the peach with pink trims, Sakaki picked up a couple and went over to the counter.

"E-excuse me?" Sakaki put them down. "I…I'd like to buy those…"

"Ah, those are nice…" the man nodded. "I-I'll just ring them up now…"

As he did so, Sakaki got a better look at him. He was a few centimeters taller, with a young and handsome face (Sakaki had to admit - so did I, later on), dark eyes and smooth raven-black hair.

"Here you go," he handed back the roses now wrapped in plastic.

"Oh, thank you," Sakaki took them. "W-well…s-see you…"

"W-wait," he spoke up before she could go. "Err…sorry if I seem rude, b-but…may I ask whom these roses are for?"

"Oh,…a friend of mine," Sakaki replied simply, thinking about me.

"Ah, okay…" he nodded. "Um…sorry if I'm acting weird or something…I-it's just that I've never really talked to pretty women like you…"

Sakaki blushed. "P-pretty?"

"Yeah…" he smiled then his eyes widened in shock. "Ah! What'd I just say? Oh no, no…"

Before Sakaki could react, he picked up a couple of white daisies and held them out to her. "Take these! I have to check on the tulips! That's it!"

With that he ran off, leaving Sakaki in her own bewilderment.

"Um…" she stared at the daisies. "…Thanks?"

As I was looking over my homework papers, I heard the door click open and turned to see Sakaki was back home…with an armful of flowers.

"Hey Sakaki!" I greeted her, leaning back on my chair. "What are those flowers for?"

"Ah, I bought them for you…" Sakaki blushed, handing over the roses to me. "I saw this florist's shop so I thought…"

"Aw Sakaki," I sighed, sniffing the petals. "You're such a romanticist."

Sakaki smiled, sitting down next to me.

"But may I ask what those daisies are about?" I pointed to the other bundle.

"Ah…a guy at the store gave them to me…" she replied.

"Oh…a guy…" I frowned.

"He was very nice, actually," Sakaki added. "Um…yes, he gave me those daisies…"

She exhaled, putting them down then she looked out at the window across the main room.

"…I have a feeling that…he liked me…" she whispered. "The way he was watching…"

My fingers trembled then I grabbed her hand. "Sakaki."

"Hmm?" she blinked, looking back at me. "Oh…are you jealous?"

"What?" I gasped. "No! I just…"

"Kagura, Kagura," Sakaki smiled, stroking my cheek. "You're my first and only, and you will always be that, don't worry about him…he just reminded me a bit of Kaorin…and you, I must admit…"

"Sakaki," I repeated.

"Relax, I love you," she sighed, placing her lips onto mine. "It's just another crush I have to deal with."

For the rest of week, Sakaki did not see any more of the man but still used the shortcut home. When the weekend arrived, it was the first day we both had off since our schools and jobs began. We thought we would just relax in our apartment home that day but when we noticed Mayaa was acting restless, scratching at the door and climbing over us and meowing loudly as ever, it was agreed we would take a walk instead.

After he had barged in between us for the umpteenth time, we gave up and just headed out of our bedroom.

"So what do we do now?" I sighed, seeing as Mayaa wasn't going to allow us to have our time.

"Maybe we should go out," Sakaki suggested. "It's been a while since he's been outdoors."

"Sounds like a good idea," I nodded. "But…I know you might not like the idea…but we should keep him on a leash then…"

"Why should we do that?" Sakaki timidly asked, she wasn't big on the idea of tying up animals.

"It's a city, there's a lot of people and cars, he could get lost," I explained. "Just in case, ok?"

"…Ok," Sakaki reluctantly nodded.

And so we got him into a black nylon harness with a matching leash. Let's just say he was _not_ thrilled. He put up quite a fight and only calmed soon after Sakaki started whispering to him, but it could be told he still wasn't happy about it.

We finally went out, the cat sulking after our heels.

As we walked down the sidewalk, we got lot of stares from the passer-bys due to Mayaa. Whenever someone asked, we always responded he was a 'crossbreed.'

After we had walked for a while, we came upon an entrance to a small park but this was different from the one back at our original home.

I looked around, seeing that it was just us so I bent down to unlatch the leash from Mayaa. "We can let him loose around here."

As Mayaa joyously chased after sparrows, we sat on a nearby bench. Watching him, I chuckled at a thought that came to my mind.

"What is it?" Sakaki asked.

"Well," I smiled. "I can't help but think we're just like some parents taking their kid out just by looking at Mayaa."

"Ah, I see…"

"Mm…" I bowed my head.

Sakaki reached a hand out, placing it on my lap.

"Oh, it's him," she suddenly gasped. I looked up to see a guy walking down the sidewalk.

"Yeah, what about him?" I mumbled.

"He's the florist guy," Sakaki replied.

"Oh…"

"What if he sees me and still likes me?" Sakaki whispered as he neared us.

"I guess you'll have to let him down easy," I exhaled.

Then he saw us and recognized Sakaki right away, his face turning pink. "I-it's you…"

"Yes…" Sakaki replied quietly, "T-thank you again for the flowers."

"N-no problem…" he smiled.

I began to ease up a bit as I saw he wasn't that type of jerk whom went around picking up girls, but still, I was wary of him.

Then he noticed me. "Ah…who are you?"

"Sakaki's friend, haven't we been introduced?" I raised an eyebrow.

"No, um…sorry…I don't even know your name…" Sakaki looked up at the man.

"Ah, that's right," he chuckled weakly. "We did never quite get to know each others' names, huh? Well, I'm Tenji Koihai, you can call me Tenji."

"Sakaki," my partner nodded.

"Kagura."

"Nice meeting you here at the park," Tenji said. "Err, yeah…sorry about that scene the past week, I-I don't know what came over me…"

Sakaki just shrugged. "It's okay."

"So, did your friend like the roses?"

"I'm _right_ here, you know," I frowned at him. "And for your information, yes, I did."

"Ah…" he stammered, he actually looked scared of me, probably due to the way I'd snapped at him. "S-sorry…I…"

"It's cool, a honest mistake," I sighed, waving a hand.

"Can't you try to be nicer to him?" Sakaki immediately hissed into my ear. Sheesh! I _was._

"Heh…okay…" Tenji laughed weakly. "W-well…"

He just stood there, his eyes still on us. When I had enough of this silence, I spoke up. "Yeah? What do you want?"

I could hear Sakaki give an exasperated sigh beside me. Okay, I just couldn't help it, he _was_ after Sakaki in a sense…

"Would you like lunch?" he blurted out then he stuttered. "N-no, w-wait, never mind…"

"Sounds good," I tapped my chin. Sakaki and Tenji stared at me, though the guy made it clear he hadn't been aiming that at me.

"What?"

"U-um…is that really okay?" he asked, looking straight at Sakaki. He was completely ignoring me!

I let out a huff, crossing my arms but they seemed not to notice.

"W-well um…" Sakaki mumbled. "That would be nice…b-but…"

"Come on, make it clear!" I hissed, elbowing her gently.

"_Kagura_," she scolded me under her breath then she turned to face him. "That wouldn't be too bad, actually."

"R-really?" he beamed. "Ah, good! I know this great _taiyaki_ stand! I'll be back soon, don't you go running off…please…"

With that he hurried off, leaving us alone.

"He _is_ a nice guy," Sakaki rounded onto me.

"But you just met him! Do you even know him?" I protested.

"How is it any different from that meeting with Suka?" Sakaki frowned.

"Well…you…"

"You're only acting like this because he's guy and he likes me, isn't that it?"

"But…" I saw this wasn't going to get anywhere and resigned. She was right.

"I'm sorry, it's only that…"

"Kagura," Sakaki patted my back. "Remember what I said, if he does make a move, I'm just going have to let him down…but still, he does look nice…"

"You keep saying that…" I grumbled but smiled at her.

"Ah, thank goodness," called out a relieved voice and we looked up to see Tenji had returned with the food. "You didn't leave…"

"Why would we do that?" I tilted my head.

"I don't know…" he mumbled. "I just…don't have much luck with girls…"

He then handed over a pastry to Sakaki. "Here's yours, I hope you're fine with red bean."

"Hey, where's mine?" I asked expectantly.

"Oh sorry, I forget…" he muttered. I couldn't help but glare at him then eyed Sakaki whom seemed embarrassed by this.

"Do you want to share?" she held it out to me.

"Yeah, fine," I sighed, breaking off a piece.

"So, where do you live?" Tenji asked.

I almost said 'None of your business' but kept my mouth shut. At least Sakaki was vague in her answer. "Ah…somewhere near here…"

"I see, so do I," he nodded. "My parents own that florist's shop, did you know?"

"No," Sakaki shook her head.

"Heh," he rubbed his neck. "Yeah, I know it must be sorta weird for a guy to be working there, huh?"

"No, it's all right," Sakaki replied. I was noticing that both were becoming more relaxed with each other. _Not too relaxed, I hope, _my mind nagged from the back of my head.

Then I was also realizing something, it was the first time when Sakaki wasn't nervous about talking with a guy. Sure, she had been fine around my dad but he was, well, my dad. She had a hard time facing men her own age, which I suppose had to be part of her mother's doing, and now here she was, chatting away with this guy…

Maybe it might not be so bad having a guy friend…still, there was that little ugly tidbit of him liking my lover…

But I'm sure that could be resolved soon, I trusted Sakaki.

"You're roommates?" Tenji said suddenly.

"Yeah, is that a problem?" I sighed.

"No…uh…" he stammered.

"Mew."

I looked to see Mayaa trotting towards us, tired out from his romp. He then sniffed the air and pounced onto my lap, hungrily eying the _taiyaki_ in Sakaki's hand.

"You're back, eh?" I grinned; scratching his ears then looked up at Tenji. "This is-"

I stopped, the poor guy looked absolutely pale. "…Are you all right?"

"C-c-cat…" he said shakily. "You keep a c-c-cat…?"

"Yeah!" I held him out, Tenji jumped. "This is Mayaa, he's a great cat!"

"Y-y-yes…I can see that…"

"What's the deal?" I stood up, "You allergic or something?"

"N-no, I…" he stepped back, still watching Mayaa carefully.

"Then it shouldn't be a problem with you!" I walked towards him. "Give him a pet! He loves them!"

"NO! Don't get that cat near me!" he cried out then he stumbled backwards, falling onto his backside. "Ow!"

I had enough of this; I handed Mayaa over to Sakaki and helped him up. "You all right?"

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You did that on purpose, huh?"

Sakaki just shook her head. _Kagura…_

After we had gotten over that scenario, it was time for us to leave.

"So I might see you around?" Tenji asked anxiously.

"Maybe," Sakaki nodded. Her route home _was _near his florist shop after all…

"Well then, bye Sakaki!" he waved us off.

"What, no 'bye Kagura?'" I muttered but he didn't hear me.

As we were walking back to our apartment, Sakaki leaned down to say. "That was mean."

"How was I supposed to know he was scared of Mayaa?" I replied innocently.

"Oh Kagura," Sakaki sighed. "Next time, if we ever run into him again, please try to be nicer then, okay?"

"Don't worry," I reassured her then grinned. "He's starting to grow on me."


	25. A Cat's Cradle

Together Always

A Cat's Cradle

Author's Note: Interestingly enough, I had two chapter ideas (the second came later) but then I decided to combine both to mix few things. We'll get a look into Sakaki's early days at the clinic as well an outlook on the October season if you get the meaning

"Hey, does this look right to you?"

"Hmm?" I looked up from my pile of papers on the table. "What, Kitagawa?"

Our apartment neighbor was lying upside down on the old couch, fiddling with a colorful string in her hands.

"I just can't seem to get this cat's cradle to work…" she huffed, near to the point of toppling out of her seat as she struggled with her game.

I exhaled deeply, putting down my pencil. I walked over to her where I showed her the proper way to do it.

"There," I said as she exclaimed with glee. "And maybe it would work better if you try it without being upside down."

"You're the best," Kitagawa sighed, rolling the right side up.

"Right…" I sat back down to resume my work.

It was the autumn season; it had been weeks since our colleges started. Over the time, we had gotten along better with our new friends, Kitagawa and Suka. Tenji…well, I can't really say anything about him, only that we didn't see him much. That was kind of a plus if you would excuse me.

Also, it wasn't just people that grew on us, we were really starting to enjoy our new lifestyles. Sakaki _loved_ her school and her job at the clinic while I…well, if it wasn't for the insane load of homework, I might like it more. And my job? Well, it was _way_ better than my previous ones that's to say. I'm not complaining, it _was_ a good job.

Additionally, living on our own meant we got more time to have some privacy to ourselves…

Today, however, it was just me and Kitagawa who'd decided to drop by as usual. Sakaki was still at work so I was stuck finishing up my notes for next class. And as usual, Kitagawa was being her distracting self…

"Kagura?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you draw?" she asked.

"Um…no, why?"

"Just asking," she trailed her finger across the tabletop. "Of course, if you could draw and see art such as me…"

I remained quiet, a slight blush across my cheeks. I knew where her casual comments were going to lead to…they _always _went there at one point or other.

"…You'd notice your girlfriend's got the potential…" she sighed, checking the dust. "She's just so _pretty_…she puts all those ladies you see in the media to shame…"

My cheeks became pinker, I mumbled. "Y-yeah, that's nice of you to compliment Sakaki and all…but…"

"It must be amazing at-" she started but I cut her off, knowing too well what she meant. "That's enough!"

"Oh sorry!" she shook her head in exasperation. "I did it again, didn't I? Really, I don't know where my mind goes…"

"Look, as interesting your talk is…" I exhaled. "I really need to do my homework."

"Right, sorry about that," she nodded understandingly. "I suppose I should go now, huh?"

"Yeah, see you," I said as she got up to leave.

As I listened to her fading footsteps and the light shutting of the door, I returned to my notes. "Let's see…the problem here…"

As I was scribbling my answers; Mayaa pounced onto the table, causing the papers to scatter all over.

"Mayaa!" I scolded, picking him up.

He gave a loud hiss as I dropped him back on the floor, slinking his way down the hall.

"Sheesh, look what mess you've made!" I groaned, kneeling down to pick up the papers.

Mayaa said nothing, simply flicking his tail before he disappeared into the bedroom. I let out a deep sigh. I didn't mean to snap like that but he had been getting on my nerves with his increasing demands coupled with the late studying I had to do.

When I finally got everything put back in place, I heard the door click open and saw Sakaki walk in.

"Sakaki!" I greeted, ready to kiss her.

But I stopped myself when I saw her expression; it was of pain and sadness.

"…Sakaki?" I whispered, carefully stepping up to her.

"Oh Kagura…" she gasped, wrapping her arms tightly around my shoulders as she broke into light sobs.

I said nothing, simply patting her back gently.

Eventually we sat down on our couch, Sakaki sniffling.

"…What's wrong?" I asked quietly.

Sakaki rubbed her tears away, her voice broken. "I-It w-was so a-awful…The…they had to…p-put down…"

She swallowed. "He was so good…"

"Oh Sakaki…" I sighed, caressing her cheek.

"I-I don't understand…" she exhaled. "Why do things like that have to happen?"

"Well…" I lowered my hand; I had to answer this right. "It's just how life goes, we all age then…"

"B-but…he was…so y-young…" Sakaki trembled.

I winced. Not good. I took her hands. "Well, nobody wants to suffer…they gave him what he needed, a peace of mind…"

"…" Sakaki bowed her head.

"Look Sakaki," I tilted her chin up. "You're still helping a lot of other animals, you're making them better and happier, isn't that right?"

"…Yes."

I smiled softly. "You're doing a great job, keep that in mind, Sakaki."

She stared at me silently for a moment then she leaned in, hugging. "…Thank you…"

"No problem," I returned the gesture.

Then we felt a brush against our legs, the cat had returned.

"Mayaa," Sakaki sighed, picking him up. He purred, nuzzling her face and neck.

"Mm," she scratched behind his ears. "We're going to take good care of you."

I chuckled lightly, giving him a pat. "Yeah, we will."

Already I had gotten over the little scene he made previously.

Sakaki raised her head, looking out at the window across from us. "…I got into my dream school…I have my own place…I have a great job…I have both of my favorite people living with me…if only…"

She lowered her head, a deep sigh. I leaned on her shoulder, giving her a comforting hug.

"It's ok, Sakaki…"

--

"Autumn's my favorite season."

Sakaki reached out to catch a fluttering red leaf upon her palm. We were in the park where the _momiji_ - the maple - were shedding their fall coats. Mayaa was with us, freely batting his paws at the falling leaves.

"Oh, really?" I smiled.

"Yes…" Sakaki twirled it between her fingers. "I love how the season changes so vividly with such warm colors before winter comes…to be reborn in spring…it's like watching life in action…"

She let it go, watching it trail off with the cool breeze.

I held her hand as we walked down the sidewalk, Mayaa darting ahead of us. "You're pretty deep, Sakaki."

"…What do you like about autumn?" Sakaki asked.

"Oh?" I looked up. "Well…it's got the best food of the seasons for sure!"

Sakaki giggled, kissing my forehead.

"Enjoying the walk?" said a familiar voice from behind and we turned to see our neighbor.

"Oh, hey Kitagawa!" I greeted her. "I almost forgot about you, where have you been?"

"Oh, just watching life in action," she smiled. "Excuse me, but I couldn't resist listening in," she added when we gave her a look.

"Seriously though," she spread her hands out like she was holding a camera. "This scenery would make a great picture, just look at the light shades!"

Kitagawa was very energetic about art; be it drawing, painting, or sculpting.

"And of course," she faced us. "You two just make it all the better!"

We blushed slightly as she chortled.

We continued our path through the park, just chatting about school and the like while Mayaa cuddled up in Sakaki's arms. As we reached the other end, we noticed there was activity going on at the local high school across the street.

"Ooh, it must be the Culture Fest week," Kitagawa noted the colorful banners on the windows of the building and the stalls in front. "Hey, why don't we give it a look around?"

"Sounds good," I nodded in agreement and we crossed the road to the other side.

As we passed through the gathering crowd; every now and then, some people would point out at Mayaa and even asked if they could touch him. Sakaki's usual responses were headshakes and 'Sorry, no.' She wouldn't let anybody disturb the cat. However, she did allow a couple of children to pet him once. She was friendlier with the kids than the adults.

"Ooh! That place looks good!" Kitagawa pointed to a classroom which had taken the role of a typical café with a haunted theme. "Come on, let's go in."

Once we had seated ourselves, I took a look around at the hanging white ghosts and young waitresses dressed in related costumes such as a witch's or some other. Mayaa pawed curiously at a papier-mâché black cat.

"This brings back memories," I sighed, chuckling.

"Oh…yes…" Sakaki smiled softly.

"Remember our last one?" I leaned on the table. "It had something to do with flowers, didn't it?"

Sakaki nodded, blushing.

"Do tell," Kitagawa smiled, immensely interested.

"Well…" I laughed. "There were so many, Yomi had to go home early because her allergies had began acting up…you see, we had gotten a lot of left over flowers from a nearby florist and we had this bright idea we'd have another café, but this time we'd give away the flowers to every customer group…the flowers would be all nicely arranged and stuff…"

"Go on…" Kitagawa waved her hand.

"Well, let's see…it went like this…"

"_Yomi, are you sure you're okay?" I asked concernedly._

_Because Yomi looked like a complete mess amongst the roses, she was all teary-eyed and stuffy-nosed._

"_Y-yeah…I think…" she sniffed. "Wow, I didn't think we would get this many…"_

"_It's because we're that awesome!" Tomo suddenly appeared, swinging an arm over her shoulder. Just at that moment, Yomi let out a blast which reminded that of a foghorn._

"_Whoa! You're a horror!" Tomo exclaimed. "This is a flower café, not a haunted house, you know!"_

"_Ah, Tomo…" Yomi glared at her._

_She then sneezed again, louder this time, rubbing her nose with her handkerchief afterwards. Beside me, Osaka watched with awe._

"_Dang, you're really not looking so good, Yomi," Tomo muttered at her best friend's state. _

"_Maybe you should go home," I suggested. _

"_Yeah!" Tomo nodded. "I'll come with you too!"_

_This coming from Tomo intrigued me a bit, I'd never really known her to care that much for someone else. Then again, Yomi was her friend after all…_

"_B-but…what about the café?" Yomi replied with worry. "What'll Yukari say?"_

"_Café, schmcafe!" Tomo huffed. "Health first! You will march back home right now! I'll lead the way!"_

"_And I'll handle her while you guys do that," I grinned._

"_Ah…if you say so…" she sighed. Another loud sneeze, she followed Tomo out of the room._

_After they had left, our homeroom teacher returned with a bad case of sniffles too. _

"_Hey runts!" she yelled out crankily. "I'm turning in early today; you better have a good time with this thing."_

_Then she pointed at Chiyo. "You! You be the teacher today, you're the class representive, keep an eye on 'em will you?"_

_With that, she was gone and we were on our own._

"_Um…um…" The poor child looked around at us, looking quite flustered. "Err…j-just keep doing what you're doing…"_

_With that duty noted, I decided I'd go check on Sakaki whom was currently keeping the bouquets in order. When I found her, I noted her new café outfit. In that apron and blue dress ensemble, she reminded me of a pretty farm girl. She also looked really adorable in that single braid of hers._

I saw Sakaki blush. I smiled and continued with my story.

"_Hey Sakaki!" I called out to her; she turned to me with a small smile, she was in heaven._

"_Kagura," she sighed._

"_You look great!" I complimented._

"_T-Thank you…" she blushed._

"_Mm," I moved closer, looking up at her. "But you know what else it needs?"_

_I then picked up a white daisy from one of the baskets and reached up, tying the flower into Sakaki's bangs._

"_There, the finishing touch!" I grinned._

_She touched its petals then smiled at me. "Thank you…"_

"_You're welcome," I replied, caressing her hand. _

_It had been about two months since I confessed to her and we were just getting closer still. _

_For the rest of the day, all went well, our business was doing excellent and we had given away a lot of flowers. Even though Yomi had gone home and Tomo still hadn't come back then, there weren't any problems with the staff. After we had finished cleaning up, I met with Sakaki again._

"_Sakaki, that was fun, wasn't it?" I sighed._

"_Mm-hmm," she nodded, sniffing the pink roses._

_I glanced back, making sure we were alone, then I stole a kiss on Sakaki's lips. She blinked then she smiled and returned the kiss._

"_Here, I saved this one for you," I said, holding up a cream rose tinged with peach. "It was the last one of the bunch."_

_She blushed upon seeing it then tentatively took it. "…Thank you, Kagura…"_

"_No problem, it's what lovers do," I smiled, giving her another kiss._

_After the festival, we went to our usual spot at the old park, just where we always used to go to…_

"That was good," Kitagawa said, taking a bite out of her dark chocolate cake.

"Yeah…" I sighed. "We've had great memories together…"

"Want a bite?" Sakaki offered a piece of her vanilla cake.

"Sure," I happily accepted it. "You know what?"

I reached my hand out, just above Sakaki's head. "Looking back…you've really grown since, haven't you?"

She blushed shyly.

"Hey, it's cool," I reassured her, chuckling. "At least that means I'll get to have more out of you…"

Sakaki turned pinker; I blushed the same after I realized what I had said.

"Whoa, whoa, I didn't need to hear that," Kitagawa waved her hand. "…Or did I?"

She grinned goofily as we stared at her.

"You know what?" she suddenly pointed a finger. "We totally should do something together! After all, it's the Hallows' Eve season, isn't it?"

Hallows' Eve…Halloween…from what I heard, it was a pretty big thing in America but I wasn't so sure about it back around here.

"…What do you suggest we do?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, we'll dress up and watch horror movies and tell scary stories, silly!" Kitagawa giggled excitedly. "It'll be just us girls so it'll be fun! There'll even be treats too! Just like a sleepover!"

"Hmm…" I rubbed my chin. "What do you say Sakaki?"

"Um…" she bowed her head. "I-I really don't like scary things…"

"Aw, Sakaki…" I patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, we can skip some of that."

"How droll!" Kitagawa sighed heavily, leaning onto the table. "If you can't handle a couple of ghosts then why bother joining up?"

"Hey!" I turned to her. "Don't count me out just yet! I can take whatever you dish out!"

Sakaki quivered, tapping my hand. "Kagura?"

"Don't worry, if something comes out to get you, I'll be there to protect you," I smiled at her. She didn't seem very comforted by that though.

"That's more like it!" Kitagawa clapped her hands. "Now…first things first…costumes…"

--

The next day, we were in the shopping district where we checked out a store that housed a huge variety of clothes…including ones fit for Culture Fest or as Kitagawa put it, 'Hallows' Eve.' While Sakaki went off on her own, I went with Kitagawa as she looked over her choices.

"So, what's Sakaki going to be?" she asked, looking through the racks.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "We somehow agreed it'd be a surprise."

"Ah, I see," she picked out a black cloak. "Any idea what you want to be?"

"Huh…no, actually…" I mumbled, scratching my head. "I was never really into that sort of thing…so, I don't know…"

"Hmm…" Kitagawa smiled at me so strangely it made me bit uneasy. "I do have a suggestion…"

She then leaned in, whispering into my ear. My eyes widened, I jumped back. "NO WAY!"

"Hey, it's worth a shot," she hunched her shoulders.

"Err…" I looked back to where Sakaki was standing. I made up my mind.

"…Okay, show me," I returned to Kitagawa.

She broke into hysterics. She'd definitely make a good witch.

--

Before we knew it, the end of October had come and it was about time for Kitagawa's little party for Halloween. And it wouldn't just be us three; Suka was also coming over with movie choices suitable for this night.

"Okay, remember, don't be late!" Kitagawa (already in her black witch's hat and robe) reminded us before going back to her own apartment. "Or I might just have to check on you to make sure!"

"We'll be there," I promised, shutting the door after her.

"…It seems so brooding out…" Sakaki sighed, staring at the dark gray clouds outside.

"Hey, it'll be fine," I hugged her. "I'll be there too, you know."

"Still…"

"Why don't you get dressed?" I gently pushed her on. "I'll take the living room."

"Okay."

As she disappeared into the bedroom, I took a bag from the closet where my costume choice had been hidden away.

"Gosh…this is going to feel so weird…" I muttered.

Minutes later, Sakaki came out of her room. "Kagura?"

She was wearing a type of outfit you'd see in a Matrix movie (which, by way, is one of my favorite films); a black coat over a matching sweater and pants with knee-length boots and sunglasses. _No doubt _Kitagawa suggested this to her too…well, I wasn't complaining. She looked…

"You look hot!" I exclaimed.

She turned to me, removing her glasses. At that moment, her face turned the brightest red I'd ever seen. Here I was, wearing an outfit that Kitagawa so assured me that Sakaki would so love.

I was wearing a very soft brown sweater which tastefully exposed my shoulders with matching tight pants. That's not all; I had on cat ears and a tail. And a collar, can you believe that?

_I was a cat-girl._

Watching Sakaki, I think my costume had the bigger impact than hers did. Sakaki was shaking, at loss for words.

"…Well? Say something!" I huffed, not really pleased with my clothes.

"Y-Y-you're r-r-really c-c-cute…" Sakaki stuttered madly.

"Ah…thanks…" I blushed slightly. "Kitagawa suggested this to me."

"S-S-she m-made t-the r-r-right c-choice…"

I exhaled. "Snap out of it, Sakaki! It's just me! SO what if I'm wearing cat ears and tail?"

"Y-you have a collar too…" Sakaki whispered.

Then she walked towards to me, letting the coat fall off her. I twitched, bit nervous of what she might be intending. I don't know why, but maybe that's the feeling that gray cat gets…

She paused in front of me then reached a hand out. She hesitated for a moment then she began stroking my hair and ears.

"Wow…they're soft…" she mumbled.

"Well…I did shower this afternoon…" I muttered, scratching my neck. The collar was itchy. "Um…the party?"

She then leaned in, sniffing. "You smell good too…is that cinnamon?"

Sakaki then embraced me tightly, I blushed furiously.

_Great, just great, your suggestion worked out far too well, what do you have to say for that, Kitagawa?_

--

There was a knock on Kitagawa's door and she hurried to answer it.

"Yes?" she opened it up to see Suka with a bag of movie videos and DVDs. "Ah, you made it!"

"Of course I did," she smiled, stepping inside. "I can't wait to watch those!"

She then looked around. "Sakaki and Kagura in yet?"

"No…" Kitagawa shook her head. "I believe they're just changing clothes at the moment."

"Ah…okay…" Suka nodded slowly then she spied a tray of caramel-dipped apples on the counter.

"OH! THEY LOOK SO TASTY!" she squealed. She'd always been a sucker for sweets.

Kitagawa giggled, wagging her finger. "No, no, not yet till everybody's here…"

"Aw…" Suka looked at the treats sadly.

It was then Kitagawa noted something; Suka was in a simple blue/white jacket with dark jeans.

"Hey…why don't you have a costume on?" she muttered, crossing her arms. "That was one part of the whole idea for this party!"

"Eh?" Suka blinked then smiled weakly. "Oh, no, no…I don't do costumes…"

"This just won't do!" Kitagawa frowned then she reached into the nearby closet. "Let's see…"

Suka's eyes widened. "NOononononono!!"

"Come on!" Kitagawa smiled, holding up a pair of bunny ears. "Just ears, nothing much…"

"No!" Suka said firmly, backing up against the wall. "I'm not going to degrade myself! I may be short but I got dignity!"

But she was soon overpowered despite the good fight she put up, Kitagawa just wouldn't take a 'no' for an answer.

She sat grumbling on the couch while Kitagawa still smiled at her. "There, that wasn't so bad, now was it?"

"This is far worse than any horror movie I'll ever see…" Suka sighed, bowing her head.

"You still look cute!" Kitagawa piped up then she looked back at the door. "Hmm…I wonder why it's taking them so long?"

"How should I know?" Suka tilted her head, the bunny ears flopping over her face which just annoyed her more.

"Maybe we should check…" Kitagawa whispered.

And so both went up to the door of our apartment but they didn't enter. Rather, Kitagawa leaned in, her ear to the door. She then smiled. "Ah, I see…"

"What? What is it?" Suka asked.

"Nothing, Sakaki's just playing with her cat," Kitagawa giggled which prompted a confused look from Suka. "You want to watch the movies now?"

"Do I ever!"

--

"Kagura…" Sakaki slid an arm over my torso, nuzzling.

"Sakaki…" I sighed, returning the embrace.

"You make a good kitty…" she sighed, ruffling my hair.

I blushed. "M-maybe…but let's not make this a habit, okay?"

Just then the darkness flashed with light followed by a rumble of thunder.

"Ah…it's stormy still…" I exhaled, resting my head on Sakaki's chest.

I heard her whimper, I looked up in concern. "Sakaki, you okay?"

She quavered, hugging more closely. "…Don't like thunderstorms…"

"Aw, it's okay," I caressed her back. "I'm here for you, remember?"

"…" she buried her face into my shoulder, smiling a bit. "You really know how to comfort someone…"

"Mm…" I hugged her. "I'm your lover."


	26. Memories

Together Always

Memories

Author's Note:

OH MAN - Has it been forever! Sorry about that, I hope I haven't gotten rusty.

We take a break from Sakaki and Kagura, and focus on the Tomo & Yomi duo! Now, I like the girls, but they're also the hardest characters for me to write about but I always try my best. I do hope you'll enjoy it!

I truly believe that Toyomi's love depends upon subtlety and a sweet long-time friendship

Slight OOC I suppose…

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yomi was living the campus life she had always wanted; she had her own place and the classes she had chosen to take were quite enjoyable, and she had earned a couple of new friends. All this would have been great if it wasn't for…Tomo.

No, her friend wasn't butting into her life like she always had for many years in the past, since grade school. In fact, once they had started college, Tomo had been calling Yomi practically every single day, mostly about her college life. Then calls began to lessen and the time length between those calls was growing longer. In the past month, Yomi had hardly received any news from her old friend.

A long time ago, Yomi would have found that to be a blessing. But now, she wasn't so sure. It was like Tomo had just…drifted away and that made Yomi feel very uneasy.

"This is Host Jikku saying that we've got a hot single coming up…" the radio chattered nearby.

Yomi glanced up from her homework papers at the calendar in front of her. What was more, tomorrow was her birthday. Would Tomo remember?

Of course she would! What kind of a friend forgets one's birthday? Still, Yomi was bit unsettled. _Maybe I should call her…_

So Yomi stood and walked across the room towards the phone as light rock music played in the background. She picked it up and dialed Tomo's number. She held it close to her ear, waiting for the usual excited reply that was typical of Tomo. But no shout came. She waited few more minutes, tapping her foot. Still no answer. Yomi checked her wristwatch, it was past ten at night. _I guess she must be asleep…_

But that only served to increase her anxiety. She put down the phone and paced the room. The music had now moved on to a fast-paced tune, which irritated her. So Yomi turned off the radio and sat down on her small bed. _I have to relax._

Her homework was nearly done but she couldn't focus on it nor on reading a book like she often did on nights. So her best option was just to lie back on her bed, close her eyes and take a couple of breaths. Within seconds, she was fast asleep.

_Yomi was walking down the streets of the familiar shopping district, calling her friend's name. "Tomo! Tomo, where are you?"_

_She found her sitting at a café and immediately ran up to her. "Tomo! There you are!"_

_Tomo stared blankly at her. "…Who are you?"_

_Yomi gasped, she felt like she had been punched in the gut. How could Tomo not know who she was? They'd been friends for practically forever!_

"_T-Tomo, I-It's me…" Yomi struggled, choking back her tears._

"…_Sorry, but I don't remember you," the girl shook her head then she disappeared, leaving Yomi all alone._

"_No! Don't go!" Yomi reached out after her but she was long gone. "Tomo! Please, weren't we best friends? You told me you wanted us to be best friends forever! Please…"_

_No response. Yomi lowered her hand as her surroundings began to darken._

"_Please don't leave me alone…I don't want to be alone…!"_

_Then a white light shone through the darkness, followed by a faint echo of "Yomi…"_

"_Tomo!!!!" Yomi screamed. _

Yomi bolted upright, drenched in cold sweat. It was two in the morning, still too early. She inhaled deeply, sighing. What a terrible dream…

Then she went back to sleep, forgetting it entirely.

_Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnngggggggg!!!_

Yomi blinked awake to the sound of her alarm clock.

"Ugh…" she groaned, hitting the snooze button to shut it off.

She sat up, rubbing her tired eyes then put on her glasses. She looked at the calendar and remembered. It was her birthday, Tomo was bound to call anytime soon. She seemed to have a knack for catching Yomi just as soon as she woke up. The bespectacled woman sat in her bed, waiting. But no ring came.

Finally she couldn't take it anymore, she picked up the phone and tried to call her friend again. This time there was an answer.

"Yomi? No way, I was just about to call you!"

Hearing that voice made Yomi lose all the tenseness in her nerves, it was just a relief for her.

"Tomo…err, do you know what day it is today?" Yomi asked, fiddling with her dark auburn hair.

"Ah…" Yomi imagined Tomo putting a finger to her chin as she went into thought. "Oh right! It's November the twenty-second! There's that sale I have to find out, thanks Yomi!"

"Uh…but…" Yomi stammered then gave up. "Okay, Tomo."

"Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked.

"…Not really…" Yomi replied quietly.

"Okay, so…we'll talk later?"

"Yeah, I suppose, bye," Yomi hung up.

Tomo didn't even remember her birthday! Then again, maybe it'd occur to her later and she would call back, Tomo was kind of like that after all.

Yomi noted she didn't have school or work today and thought she might as well get the rest of her homework done. But she never made it back to the desk.

A hard knock on the door resounded throughout the room, causing Yomi to answer it.

She opened it up to see her apartment neighbor, a friendly brown-haired guy.

"Hey, she asked me to bring this to you," he said as he held out a note to her.

"Who?" Yomi asked curiously.

"Why don't you read it and find out?" he grinned slyly then waved back as he returned to his place.

"Okay…" Yomi opened it up and read what was written in it.

"Yomi, follow the letters to find me, Someone You Know Very Well." was all it said with an additional clue to the café which she frequented at the shopping district.

Yomi instantly thought of Tomo after reading it. _Could it be possible? No…she's too simple to pull off something like this…_

It could be a trap, she also thought but her curiosity was too great, she just _had_ to find out!

So she grabbed a brown coat from the closet and put it over the clothes she had worn to sleep last night without changing; not very ethical but she really did want to find out who was the mysterious person. She was told that this person was someone she knew very well so that was the reason for her excitement. Old Yomi would have handled this situation with some maturity but all those years with Tomo had affected her normal personality.

As she made it outside, she noticed the sky was gray with clouds and the air was very chilly so she pulled her coat tighter as she headed for the shopping district.

As she walked by the stores, Yomi began recollecting memories from back when she and Tomo had always hung out at those places together. The cafés were one of their favorite spots, there they could share a lunch and just relax as the world passed by, Tomo always pointing out the interesting sights like dachshunds in tiny sweaters and comment their silliness which would either annoy Yomi or make her laugh. Those were the times.

_Wait, was that Tomo just now? _Yomi hurried over to a nearby girl. "Tomo?"

She turned but it wasn't her, just another girl with a similar hairstyle.

"Sorry, I thought you were someone else," Yomi waved her off then took a look around.

She didn't see anyone that looked like they might be waiting for someone and just as she was about to give up, a waitress came outside.

"Excuse me, are you Yomi Mizuhara?" she asked.

"Yes," Yomi nodded. "Why?"

"Oh! I was told to give you this," the waitress reached into her skirt pockets and took out another piece of paper, giggling. "Here, good luck with your scavenger hunt."

"Scavenger hunt?" Yomi raised an eyebrow but the waitress had already gone back inside so she checked the letter. Indeed, it was another clue to the next destination.

And thusly, it was one of the first letters that led Yomi on a wild goose chase through the city, coming upon the occasional spot that would spark old memories.

It was getting dark when she reached the park, to find a bridge which she had been told was the last part of the hunt from her previous letter. She was cold and bit hungry, she had grabbed a simple chicken sandwich while on the run.

She walked down the empty concrete path, looking at the fraying yellow grass and bare trees around her. Once again, her memory flashed back the young summer days where she and Tomo would run and play in the small park near their neighborhood, rolling around in the lush green grass. It had been too long since they had last tried it, she was too old for such things now. Yet, she wouldn't mind being able to frolic across the field without being mocked now…

"Huh?" Yomi snapped out of her thoughts. She was alone now, standing on the cobblestone bridge which she had been searching for. She found a nearby wooden bench to the side, sitting under a lone glowing lamp post. _I could use a break…_

So she took a seat, stretching her legs as she leaned back._ I wonder where that person is…_

She didn't have to wait long to find out for from behind came an unmistakable voice. "Yomi, there you are!"

She whipped around and saw Tomo, it had been such a long time since she had seen her in person. Tomo still looked like her same, peppy self though she had grown her hair a bit longer.

"Tomo!" Yomi got up, running towards her. Tomo grinned and spread her arms, expecting a big hug.

_THWACK!_

"What was the big idea of leading me around like that?" Yomi yelled after smacking Tomo's forehead. "Couldn't you have gotten straight to the point!?"

"It's good to see you too," Tomo chuckled, rubbing her sore head.

"And…and…" Yomi _had_ to say it. "Why haven't you been in touch with the past month? You didn't even wish me a happy birthday nor a gift! No, you…"

"Yomi, Yomi," Tomo patted her friend's arms. "That was your birthday gift."

"What was?" Yomi glared at her.

"The hunt," Tomo smiled softly. "It took weeks to get that into order, that's why I haven't been calling much lately."

"…" Yomi relaxed, now more intrigued than irritated. "Why would you go through all that trouble?"

"Because I wanted to make it a really special birthday for you," Tomo replied.

"But how…"

"Take a seat," Tomo gestured towards the bench and so they sat down. "Now look back on the places, did they remind you of anything?"

"I…" Yomi paused, thinking about it. It all made sense now, even the most unexpected places had always reminded of a moment with Tomo. Never just herself, Yomi. "Yes…a lot…"

_What? The gift was a trip down the memory lane?_

"…Why?" Yomi had to ask.

"Yomi, do you remember the first day we met?"

Yomi remembered.

_It was the first day of grade school. Yomi was feeling bit awkward in her new class. Already into the first hour, lot of the children were getting along with each other. All except for Yomi. She sat apart from the class, fiddling shyly at her desk. She looked at a couple of girls talking freely together and sighed to herself. She would have liked to make friends too, but she was too nervous about what others might think of her._

_So Yomi was pretty much alone. The lonely girl then thought she would pass the time by messing around in her notebook. However, that was rudely interrupted by a certain stranger. _

_As she reached for her pencils, she felt a presence nearby and looked up to see a raven-haired girl beaming at her. Yomi blinked perplexedly, saying nothing. _

"_Hey, what's your name? I'm Tomo. Are these glasses? Can I try them on?" the girl said in one rapid breath._

_She reached out for them before Yomi could protest and put them on._

"_Whoa…" she awed, wobbling about. "How do you see in those? Everything's all spinny!"_

"_Hey!" Yomi shouted, standing up. "Give them back now before you break them!"_

_Tomo fell down on her bottom onto the floor then looked up at the taller girl, giggling._

"_You're funny! I just wanted to try them on, not break them!"_

_Yomi swallowed, her clenched hands shaking slightly out of temper: "Just please give those back!"_

"_All right," Tomo took them off, handing them toward her. "But really, I wasn't gonna break them, you should lighten up!"_

"_Hmph…" Yomi balanced her glasses back on._

"_What's your name? You still didn't tell me!" Tomo asked rather excitedly, pointing at her._

"…_Koyomi…" she replied quietly._

"_Koyomi…" Tomo tilted her head. "Koyomi…Koyomi…Koyomi…"_

_She kept on repeating her name._

"…_What's with you?" Yomi raised an eyebrow._

"_Koyomi…" the hyper child paused for a moment then yelled out brightly. "Ah, why don't I just call ya Yomi instead?"_

"…_Yomi?"_

"_Yeah, it's shorter and more easy to remember!" Tomo replied giddily._

"_That's just stupid!" Yomi snapped at her but she only giggled again._

"_I like you!" she smiled. "We should be friends!"_

"…_Friends?" Yomi settled down at that comment._

"_Yeah! Maybe we can even be best friends forever!" Tomo spread her arms in triumph._

"…_Really?" the bespectacled girl formed a small smile._

_The girl may have been bit excitable for her taste but she was the first person all day to have talked to her. What was more; she wanted to be friends too! She couldn't be more happier._

"_All right, starting of now as new BFF," Tomo took a dramatic stance with an arm raised. "We shall play tag in the classroom!"_

"_Wait-what?" Yomi stuttered._

_This was going bit far…fooling around during class? _

"_TAG YOU'RE IT!" Tomo slapped her then dashed off. "TRY TO CATCH ME!"_

"_Oh! Um…um…" Yomi stammered, unsure what to do. "I don't wanna get into trouble…"_

"_Don't just stand around, catch me!" Tomo stopped in front of her then circled around the room once again._

"_Um…okay!" Yomi said determinedly as she went after her new friend._

_As fast as she could go, she couldn't catch up with Tomo's pace but that ended shortly. As Tomo rounded a corner, she tripped and knocked down a bookcase in the process. As the books went flying, Yomi fell over one and landed on top of Tomo._

"_Whoops! Watch yourself!"_

_They looked at each other then broke into a fit of laughter._

"_That was fun!" Yomi exclaimed._

_Afterwards, they were sent to sit in separate corners but it had been well worth it. They would never forget this day for years to come. For that was the fateful day where their friendship had begun, throughout those years they had gone through many experiences together and never drifted apart just how best friends forever should be…_

Then college happened, and both were forced to separate in order to pursue their dreams. But they never forgot each other…

"Yomi, I wanted you to know that no matter what we'll always be best friends forever," Tomo sighed. "So I thought this would be a good day for us to get together again and think back to the great times we've had…"

"Tomo…that's…" Yomi couldn't finish her sentence but her friend understood the appreciation.

"Happy Birthday Yomi," Tomo smiled, leaning on her shoulder in a half-hug. "From your BFF, Tomo."

"Thank you…" Yomi sighed softly, returning the hug.

"So…how's it been going at your school?" Tomo asked, tilting her head.

"Well…" Yomi paused.

Yes, she was enjoying it all but something was missing…

Then it clicked. Tomo wasn't there, not a big part of it at least. Despite the new friends she had gained, without Tomo, Yomi was lonely.

"…I miss you Tomo," was all she said. "…So much…"

"Wow, really?" Tomo blinked then she softened. "Aw…shucks, I miss you too."

"It's just not the same without you," Yomi admitted. There, she said it.

"I have to admit, neither is it without you too," Tomo agreed.

"Even though you can be really annoying at times…"

"And you can be so bossy…"

"I really miss you," Tomo and Yomi said at the same time.

A moment of silence passed, Yomi blushed slightly though she wasn't sure why. Tomo just laughed. "Wow, at the same time, that was really cool!"

"Hee, I suppose so," Yomi giggled lightly, her cheeks still pink. "Oh…it's snowing…"

Snowflakes had begun to fall, like tiny shooting stars against the evening sky.

"Wow…" Yomi awed.

"Want to come to my place?" Tomo offered as she stood up. "It's closer."

"That'll be fine," Yomi nodded and so both girls headed down the sidewalk.

After some quiet walking, Tomo spoke. "You know, I've also been thinking over this for a while…since we really miss each other, why don't we move in together? "

Yomi thought about it and smiled. How could she say no? Us together…again! Like how it should have been in the beginning.

"But…how will we make that work," Yomi mumbled. "The colleges…"

Tomo laughed and put an arm around Yomi's shoulder confidently. "We'll find a way to make it work, we always do!"

That was true. After all, they were best friends forever.


End file.
